


Umbras and Penumbras

by MysticHunter



Series: It's Always Sunny In Nuholani [2]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series)
Genre: Hazel is total bros with Guzma and Gladion, I don't know half the shit I'm writing about so be easy on judging my bullshit, Multi, Mystery, Shadows - Freeform, Swearing, The Apocalypse happens, creepy shit involved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-30
Updated: 2018-06-20
Packaged: 2018-11-07 00:54:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 63,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11047917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MysticHunter/pseuds/MysticHunter
Summary: I thought my first battle was where it ended. How wrong of me to think so. Casha's disappearance was the trigger. Then it was everyone else. We lost Plumeria, then a key item went missing. We panicked and rushed our plans. Big mistake. We kept walking into traps.Only a set of ice blue eyes, a head of lies, the kindest soul, a man drunk off caffeine and a partly psychotic wife were willing to see I was falling and lend me a hand through my journeys. And even then, it all came down to me. Me, the daytime dream, Niekramant and a black car that matches your blackest soul.





	1. The following days

**Author's Note:**

> So, we have the first chapter of my new story! Umbras and Penumbras!
> 
> A whole new mystery.
> 
> Also, if youre a new child to this, go read Under Black Shadows first. It explains everything.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!

I sat in the hotel room, the Shadow Ball clutched in my hands. I still couldn't believe it. Niekramant was in this little pokeball and I was alive all the while. My phone sat buzzing with cautious texts from Astrid, Mum, Gladion - everyone - asking if I was okay, alive, dead. Just begging for a response from me. I ignored it. I was trapped in a limbo, unable to comprehend the fact that I had just done that... And lived.

"I must dreaming." I said aloud. Nobody heard me. I was alone in the room, Guzma having left to do... Something. I wasn't paying attention when he had specified. I needed someone to talk to, something to do. I looked over at my school bag. It held my books, laptop, sketch book and pencil case. I glanced at the small yellow bag beside it, the one with my pokeballs and average trainer items. I put the Shadow Ball down with a sigh and reached over, clutching at my trainer bag with an unsteady hand. I unzipped it and took out the six pokeballs that sat on the top of everything. I threw them upwards, letting each and every one of them out. 

Flare Mane, Matty, FireBeam, NightLight and Yellow Belly blinked in surprise as they emerged. They had been taken by Niekramant's shadows in an attempt to give it strength. They had provided that. But they didn't know. They didn't remember. They had been dead. But as their eyes landed on me and the hotel room, no necromancer Pokemon to be seen, they leapt at me. My arms were open wide after all. I hugged the six of them, proud of my gorgeous children for doing something like they did. 

I had to hand it to them, they had all given it an amazing shot out there. 

Grillby had ended up emerging victorious for my sake, but that was no reason to downgrade what everyone else had done. I remember laughing a lot. And hugging each of them a lot. And crying a little bit. And lots of love being shared. We were just happy to be alive.

You know, you really take life for granted until it's almost taken from you. You're convinced that every day is a right as a human or as a Pokemon. We don't realise it's finite until it's ending. We don't accept until old age because we know it'll happen eventually. But you would never expect that as a fifteen year old girl, you would be thrown into a situation that would threaten everything you knew. I never expected it. But it's what happened. 

After I finished caring for them all, I put them back into their pokeballs and picked up my phone. The text preview displayed the fact that I had 39 texts, from Satan, Mother Dearest, Band T-shirt, The Freckleface, Vampire Turkey and Caffeine Junkie. I selected the preview and typed in my passcode, letting the messages app open on its own. I checked the oldest one first, from Satan.

'WHAT? OMG NO DONT SAY SHIT LIKE THAT!' 'HAZEL' 'HAZEL!!' 'ANSWER ME YOU LITTLE SHIT FANGIRL!' 'PLEASE' 'DONT BE DEAD!' 'OMG PLEASE ANSWER ME!' 'I COULDNT LIVE WITH MYSELF IF YOU DIED!' 'PLEASE ANSWER ME PLEASE BE ALIVE!' 'Please answer me...' 'Hazel...' 'I just got a text from Gladion. He thinks you're alive... Is it true' 'Did you win or not' 'please answer me' I stopped reading them. I tapped to enter text and wrote down a few simple words.

'It's okay. I'm alive.' I hit send and went to the next thread. Mother Dearest. There was only one lonely text.

'Text me if you're alive, baby. Luv u' I smiled and texted her,

'If you're alive, baby. Luv u.' I smirked at my own stupid joke. I was gonna cop it for that one. I opened the thread from Band T-shirt.

'Good luck! Heard you were going into battle about now. Don't die please, I need more chapters' it was followed by a smiley emoji. Charlie did always have her priorities straight. I didn't reply to her text. I opened The Freckleface and read what she had left me.

'Hazel' 'fine then don't talk to me' 'hey human. U alive?' 'answer me, you naked hedgehog' 'we would all like you text to us back' Once again, I didn't answer her. I skipped to the next one. Vampire Turkey.

'I wish you luck, miss Sky. I'm sure you'll make it out alive' This one had actually sent before the battle started. Oops. My eyes flitted to the next few texts. 'So, Rivers is under the impression you have a crush on me.' 'If it's true, all I can say is that you have a bad taste in men.' 'I always thought it was her, to be perfectly honest. She is quite the Tsundere, if I'm using that lingo correctly.' 'Yes, I understand you're battling the God of Necromancy, but if you wish to reply, you always can.' 'Okay, it's been hours. Are you even alive? It would be tragic if you weren't.' 'Please tell me you're alive.' 'Sky.' 'You're making everyone worried.' 'I checked with Rivers and you haven't replied to her. You are alive, right?' 'Answer me, Hazel' 'You missed a called from *number withheld* who did not leave a message. This message was provided by Telstra at no charge to you' 'fine then miss sky. Have it your way' He had texted me more than anyone else, except for maybe Astrid of course. I was more than just surprised.

'Im alive. And you never finished your explanation on Ultra Energy and so on. It was pretty aggressive on its own. If you meant that it would be more aggressive to those with Ultra Energy... maybe that was a good call. But I'm alive.' I replied solemnly. I checked the last thread. It had only appeared three minutes ago.

'You like gummies or no' 'oh my god, answer me' 'I'm getting you gummies' 'is it illegal to look at a Snorunt sideways cause a lady just yelled at me for doing that' 'what hotel are we in again' 'nvm I found it' It was right about this time that Guzma arrived back at our room.

"You never answered mah question about the gummies." He said when he saw me holding my phone. 

"I love gummies." He nodded, as if he already knew it.

"They all losin' their shit about y'all being alive?" I shook my head up and down.

"Some of these texts are freaking hilarious." I said, but didn't move to show him. He let out a meagre chuckle. The banter wasn't normal for us, but I'm pretty sure it's just because we were thankful to be back here, alive. A question hung heavy over me, but I wasn't sure if Guzma could answer me. Maybe he didn't know. Maybe he did. I wanted to ask, but I held it back. When I got back to Nuhola, I could make all the calls I wanted...

I held back my desire to call Gladion for an answer, resisting any urge to even reply to the texts further. Something hit my face and I yelped in surprise. It was a bag of gummies. "Wow, thanks." I knew how sarcastic I sounded as I ripped the bag open, taking out the first one at the top no popping it into my mouth. Shit. Black one. The grossest kind. I finished it anyway, not wanting to offend Guzma after just sarcastically accepting it. He took off his sunglasses and jacket, tossing them onto his bed and sitting down with a sigh.

I stood up and grabbed my pokeballs, shoving them back into my trainer bag with many mixed emotions, grabbing my school bag instead. I grabbed out my laptop and sat on my bed, opening it up and turning it on. I entered the passcode and let it boot up while Guzma flipped the TV on. An old soap opera began to play silently, one that Guzma flicked past on a surf through the channels. My laptop had finished loading, so I opened up my word document for A Mystery For Dead, a story I was working on at the time. After finding nothing to watch, he flipped the TV off with yet another sigh.

"Do y'all have any streaming sights?" He asked, looking over at my laptop with disdain.

"Yeah, I've got Netflix."

"Any good shows on it?"

"What would you define as good?" He shrugged. I connected to the network the hotel had, holding back a smirk and opening the Netflix app on my laptop. My list showed an array of different shows. I scrolled through the list of about five. "I've got on my list," I started listing off all the shows in my list to him. "Voltron: Legendary Defender and my personal favourite anime, Riverdale, Doctor Who, Stranger Things and Alice in Wonderland... The Tim Burton version." He nodded.

"What's the first one about?" I clicked onto the show preview and read off the synopsis. 

"Overwhelmed but ready for action, five aspiring space explorers learn they have the power to create Voltron, the most powerful robot in the universe." I shrugged. "It's about these five guys who find a robotic lion and go through a wormhole to a planet named Eris and they have to find more lions to form Voltron. It gets serious at some bits, but it's great for a laugh."

"Ah'll take it." He sat down beside me. I eyed him off before sighing and clicking the first episode of season 1. I set the laptop down and got up, switching off the light of the room. I sat back down and leant back against the wall, pulling my laptop onto my thighs. Guzma shifted to be next to me against the wall, leaning on my shoulder to see the laptop screen that was beginning to play the intro.

But after Lance had made a stupid decision and went through a wormhole that led himself and the other future Paladins to Eris, my exhaustion from the unfathomable day I had just been through got to me more than I'd like to admit. I couldn't help but nod off. Not even the hilarity of trying to find the yellow lion could keep me awake. Before I knew it, my head hit Guzma's shoulder and I was sound asleep.

*

I woke up feeling cool and annoyed... And hungry. Really, really hungry. I lifted my head from my pillow, looking around the only slightly familiar hotel room. I was still wearing my clothes from the previous day and my only source of warmth and makeshift blanket was Guzma's jacket. My laptop sat charging at the end of the bed, though I didn't remember closing it or setting it to charge. I sat up with a groan, rubbing my eyes tenderly and without the obstruction of my glasses. The TV was on, an anime I didn't recognise playing. Did seem interesting from what I could make out though. My eyes were needlessly blurry from sleep and my natural sight being stupidly stupid. Astigmatism. Why must I have you?

"Here." I hadn't noticed, but Guzma had stood when I sat up and was handing me my glasses, taking his jacket at the same time. I accepted the spectacles, opening them and slipping them onto my face in a routine way. 

"Thanks." I said, a stutter in my croaky voice. I looked up at him, my eyes still half closed and gave a grateful smile. A barely saw it, but he returned it for a moment,

"Don't mention it." He said, sitting back on his bed, putting his jacket back on and pulling his hood over his head. Typical. 

"Do we have any food? Anything more than gummies?" He threw me a packet of Tamato chips. "Thanks." Ahh. Breakfast.

*

The next few days waiting for our ferry back to Nuholani was spent doing the same sorts of things. Mindlessly ignoring each other while watching whatever came onto the TV programs and then watching Voltron together when the night got late. We almost got through a season too.

But then the four days were up and we were checking out of the hotel, walking back to our specified docks to Nuholani. It was at least a more pleasant walk without having to drag the machine everywhere. When we arrived, we were narrowly missing our docking time, but with a certainly determined run, we made it aboard in time. There was far fewer people leaving to Nuholani than there was people leaving for Sinnoh.

It was thankfully quiet. We were both still pretty shaken. 

I hadn't really stopped to think about Guzma must have felt while I was fighting. He had the machine, the thing that was meant to control my battle environment and he couldn't make the shadows go away as he was supposed to be able to. He had panicked. He had thought that because of him, I wouldn't make it out alive. He had destroyed the shadow unit to stop it, but it had never worked. He had waited for the shadows to recede, to maybe find me dead, or not there at all. But I had turned out alive with Niekramant in the Shadow Ball and Grillby - my beautiful little Grillby - standing by my side.

He must have been just as relieved as I was.

About halfway through the trip home, a Pelliper appeared, carrying a message to the captain. The captain took it and wrote a quick reply on it. The few passangers gave him odd looks as he sent the Pelliper away. The eyeing quickly got to him, warranting an eventual explanation.

"It was checking if a certain someone was on the boat. But they couldn't be leaving Sinnoh now."

*

The docks were silent when we stepped from the ferry. I sighed. There were about three people hanging around waiting for some relatives from Sinnoh, but nobody was there for the two randoms who left four days ago and came back. 

"Come on. We need to get to the bus stop before the last one to Boonalee leaves." I said, ushering Guzma along. I didn't want to be out in this darkness. I wanted to get back home. It was dark out, night time in fact. I didn't bother to check the time, it didn't matter too much. I was tired, I wanted to be back home, knowing that in a few short weeks, I would be leaving Nuholani yet another time to return to Alola. If only I could get a decently sized break from everything.

After a while of walking, we found the nearest bus station. A timetable was listed on the side of the station, giving us an idea of when the bus would leave... We had about four more minutes until the bus came to get us. I flopped down on the seat of the station, closing my eyes and bidding this entire experience unreal, a dream, something that would be over soon enough. Mission completed, amiright?

"Get up. It's here." Guzma said, his voice gruff. I stood up, watching the headlights of a bus approaching the station. We waited for it to pull up.

"Boonalee, I presume?" He asked, removing the lollipop from his mouth. I nodded to him as I walked up the stairs and almost threw my bag onto one of the seats. "Well, you gonna pay for it? This service ain't free." I groaned and dodged past Guzma as he took his own seat - the one behind me - passing the driver a crumpled five dollar bill. He flipped me a dollar coin and closed the door of the bus. I went back to my seat and nearly fell back on it. I pulled out my phone and notified my mother that I was on the bus on my way home to Boonalee. Finally.

I was home.

For those of you wondering why I'm acting so sober and bored and angsty... Tired. Sick of everything I've had to do. Silently thankful to be home. But everything else overpowering me.

I couldn't be bothered removing my iPod from my bag, so I tuned myself into the radio. Well, I tried to at least. My Mum replied right at that moment and I queue of several texts from Astrid, Charlie and Susan all appeared at once. I read my Mum's reply, which was of relief to finally have me home again. But... I opened Astrid's text thread, expecting nothing more than bullshit ideas and TurboPee references as normal. But the first text was not good.

'I'm really worried about Casha. She didn't come to school today and she won't answer any of us.' The rest of her texts were along the same lines. A sweat formed in my brow. I opened Susan's text thread.

'Hazel' 'Hazel' 'HAZEL' 'I think Casha is missing!' 'Answer me you naked hedgehog!' 'Something isn't right about this!' 'She would never leave Boonah!' My breath ceased momentarily. Casha? Missing? I tried to calm down, but I couldn't. I hoped there wasn't any of this from Charlie... Boy, was I wrong.

'We think Casha is missing. She didn't even reply to Britney when we called her.' 'OMG' 'we found her stuff at her bus station!' 'She wouldn't leave would she?' I let out a gasp and covered my mouth.

"What now?" Guzma asked me, leaning in the rail of my seat and peering over my shoulder at my phone. 

"I think..." I couldn't get the words to come out. I just couldn't muster it. The radio station changed from an upbeat song and turned to a news report. The 'we interrupt this program' jingle came up, somehow catching my attention. I listened in, and what I heard made my heart jump into my throat.

"The young girl Casha Danielle was reported missing from the country town of Boonalee just an hour ago. It seems she left her home to go to the bus stop on her way to school Monday Morning, but never showed up to school or home afterwards. Her family and friends have attempted to contact her, but her phone and other belongings for school were found near the bus stop she was meant to go to. Authorities have been searching all over Nuholani to find her and have interfered all ferry services and airlines in case she tried to escape, but there has been no such luck in finding her. She has been officially reported missing."


	2. New mysteries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's all getting more and confusing for me. Nothing is making sense and I just have to deal with it. You know, wait until the holidays where I'll be whisked away.
> 
> Maybe then I'll actually get some answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, writing this is much easier than writing Stay for the Sirens.
> 
> But I'm happy with how the story is going. I'm trying to hype up some things with the cliffhanger endings.
> 
> It'll all fall into place by the end.

I tossed and I turned. Tossed and turned. Tossed and turned. There wasn't anything that could get me to go to sleep. I was home, in my comfortable bed, an ASMR video playing through my almost muted headphones, the mission complete, but the anxiety of Casha going missing was clinging to my mind like a virus. It wouldn't leave. I doubted it would.

Why would she leave Boonalee? Why would she leave without here belongings? Was she kidnapped? Who took her? Why did they take her? Where did she go? My mind wouldn't let me rest. Guzma and I had walked through the darkness without the streetlights to my house, passing the church at the turnoff, the breeder neighbours and back to my house. I unlocked the gate and he gave me a faint wave, bidding me goodbye until tomorrow as I walked into my yard, locking the gate once again. And now I could relax, but there wasn't anything I could do to face this crippling anxiety.

I checked my clock. Four in the morning. I would have to get up in two hours to get ready for school. I switched off my iPod. The roleplay video was doing nothing to soothe me. Despite the fact that the air was growing cooler and that my fan was spinning on medium like it always was, a sweat was breaking out on my forehead, my whole body seeming to heat up. I felt my back ache needlessly, the way it had been for days. I didn't know why, maybe it was being thrown into the battle and literally floating in nothing but partially solid shadows. Yeah. Probably that. But it only added to my continuing anxiety.

I closed my eyes, hoping to convince myself that I was asleep until I actually was. It didn't work. No matter what I envisioned, it always led to something horrific to think about. If I simply pictured darkness, it would gain red light, the hissing of Ekans', and I would grow cold at the mere thought of being back on the battlefield, jousting in that dangerous dance where I balanced on nothing more than a needlepoint and could tumble and fall at any moment, and for reasons I didn't even know about. If I tried to picture my friends, I would always lead myself to believe the worst had come to Casha. If I tried to picture anything that made me happy, it would just deteriorate.

No sleep was to be found.

*

I was in the old workshop. It had no use anymore, as no machine was being built and tested. But Guzma had found a home here. And I was there as well. It was still early in the morning, me having got up at five and left home at six thirty because there was no use of try's to get sleep anymore. And now it was seven o clock or so and k was tired as hell. But being tired didn't stop me from ranting about this whole Casha disappearing thing.

"I don't believe it. I can't believe it! It isn't true! Oh my god, tell me it isn't true Guzma!"

"Much as you don't wanna believe it, it's true. Y'all just have to accept it."

"How can you be so calm?! What if it was Plumeria who disappeared?!"

"Not like ah would care. She hates me, ah hate her. It's a win-win situation kiddo."

"Augh!!" I paused my rant and slammed my face into the table. "What if it was me who was missing?" His face fell.

"Come on. Don't throw me under the bus."

"I just threw you, so answer me."

"Well... Ya know."

"No I don't."

"Ah'd kill to find ya." He sounded shameful.

"Ahah! So stop passing this off as nothing! Casha is my friend! I don't have time for this going and training Niekramant shit! Plus, I have all this schoolwork to worry about!" I took a deep breath. "What did I do to deserve this?"

"There's plenty of things, actually."

"Shut up. Pretend there aren't." My phone buzzed in my pocket and I ignored it, only it kept buzzing. It wasn't just a text as I had presumed. Call. I whipped the phone from my shorts pocket and checked the contact. Vampire Turkey. I tapped accept. "Hello?"

"Oh, thank god you're alive! I wasn't sure if Rivers was pranking me or something."

"Trust me, she would never prank around like that if I was dead."

"Yes, yes. I know. Anyway, yesterday you texted me saying you wanted to talk about something. Something important?" It dawned on me. The text about the whole Niekramant thing. I had sent that and he was making time to talk to me.

"Right. Yeah. That." I paused and pushed my glasses up my nose. "So, the mission is over now. I caught Niekramant."

"Yes. Spectacular job on that, by the way."

"Thank you. But... I need an explanation." There was a moment of hesitation before he answered me.

"Explanation on what?"

"Why did you want to catch Niekramant in the first place? And why was I the only candidate? Why was I the only one who could do it?" I waited for a reply. Guzma stood up.

"Hazel, now isn't the time to-" he tried to say something, but I cut him off.

"Shut up! I'm talking to edgelord!" I heard Gladion sigh on his end of the phone.

"I was hoping we could talk about this in private when you came to Alola next."

"Well I'm not alone and I'm in Nuhola and I really want an answer to my questions."

"Please miss Sky. Can we leave this until your next visit?" I flinched at him using my last name. It was always 'miss Sky' and 'miss Rivers' with him, wasn't it?

"NO!! I CAN'T WAIT FOR AN ANSWER!! FRANKLY, THERE'S OTHER WEIRD SHIT HAPPENING HERE IN NUHOLANI WHICH I NEED TO ATTEND TO, SO I NEED ANSWERS!"

"I'm sorry. But this is not a matter I can just address you about over the phone." The phone hung up. 

"ARE YOU FOR REAL?! HE WAS GOING TO GIVE ME ANSWERS!! HE WAS GOING TO TELL ME EVERYTHING! AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, ITS A MATTER FOR ANOTHER DAY?!" Tears stung at my eyes. I grasped at my phone, clicking Gladion's contact to call him, raising the phone back up to my ear. He didn't pick up. I called again. No reply. Another call attempt. No answer. One last futile attempt at a call.... "Answer me." Guzma watched me with pity in his eyes.

"Ah tried to warn ya."

"Shut up. Shut up. Shut up! SHUT UP!!" Overcome with too many emotions than my capacity allowed, I threw my phone at him, sobs erupting from my throat painfully. All I wanted to do was cry. Fall to my knees and let everything out. To the world how much my life f**king sucked. How I was sick and tired of all this crap suddenly happening to me and I know there's a reason that it's happening but I don't know the reason and all I want is the reason but more things are happening and I'm just sick of it.

"Come on, don't start crying now." Guzma said as he pulled me into a fragile hug.

"Why won't you guys just tell me already? I'm sick of it just being brushed off... Like everything in my life."

"Y'all'll find out."

"I just... want answers."

"Ah know."

*

Me: What do you guys know about her disappearing?

Charlie: We already said, we don't know. She just...

Me: Disappeared out of existence without any trace of ever being here in the first place?

Astrid: More or less, yeah.

I was trying to find out what might have happened to Casha, any traces left behind. Footprints that may have belonged to another person or Pokemon? Claw marks on her bag? Any traces of Pokemon attacks? We do have dangerous Pokemon here in Nuhola - it wouldn't be a stretch to say she was torn apart by some crazed Kamola. 

But there was nothing. No sign of her anywhere.

It was beginning to seem a whole lot like a losing battle. Nobody knew anything about her mysterious disappearance. We would maybe never find her. Maybe she was already dead. I hoped to Arceus that wasn't the truth. And to make matters worse, nobody but me and the squad were concerned. 'People go missing all the time.' 'I don't even see why they're going to do a global search if it gets out of hand.' 'They'll leave it to the patrol Pellipers. She'll be fine.' 'She probably just ran off on an adventure.' 'Stop worrying. She'll come back.' I wanted to give every single one of those dismissive people a piece of my mind, but due to laws that I'm not allowed to hurt other people in school, I had to pull out my best restraint and keep a straight face about it.

I was glad when the three days had passed and the global search began. The naysayers had been right about one thing and that was that they were leaving the patrol Pellipers to search for her. No people. No police. Just the trusting eyes of Pellipers. I doubted they could be trusted, but, like I said earlier, I kept a straight face about it. That didn't stop me, however, from doing my own research. 

Late Wednesday afternoon, I walked out of Boonalee and made my way to where Casha lived. She lived out of the main town area, somewhere I didn't really know. I knew her bus stop and that was all I really needed to know. My feet carried me to my required place. I was walking for a long time, my trainer bag weighing heavy on my right shoulder, a hand clutching it just to loosen the tightness. I didn't pay much heed to the few cars that passed me on the road, or the Ekans that occasionally hissed at me from the thickly untamed tall grass. I had a place to go, a place to be.

I reached the bus stop where Casha was last reported to be seen. I had some searching to do. Her bag was gone, having been taken away for research on any traces that might have made her leave. You know, for things like any signs of her possibly committing suicide or taking drugs or anything else illegal. I walked into the tall grass by the bus stop. Maybe there was something hiding in these grasses that had never been picked up because people were too afraid to look in there. I parted the dry grass, minding my feet in case I encountered an Ekans that I didn't need to deal with. But with every careful step I took, there was nothing to be found. Not even a Pokemon.

Really suspicious, if you ask me.

I exited the grass and took out my phone, opening the camera. I turned to the tall grass and snapped six photos in rapid succession. I took two steps into the grass and took another six photos. Then I turned on the flash. Twelve more photos later, I exited the grass and looked over the pictures. In every one, it was all the same dead grass. Except for the very last one. In the flash of the camera, hiding in the grass, I had caught sight of something. Something black and only half formed. Not a Rebel Black. Not a mutant Kamola. 

A Flareon.

*

"Excuse me, but what the actual f**k did you send me?" Gladion asked over the phone just after I picked up.

"You tell me. I went out to the bus stop where Casha disappeared and I took a few pictures and that was in one of them."

"It's just so strange. It looks like it's composed of shadows. It doesn't look real. Did you catch it with your own eyes?"

"No. But it showed up in the photo. Maybe it's a spirit or something?"

"I doubt it was an apparition. Flareons don't just occur naturally in any region at all. You weren't even near a grave although, maybe... Did Casha have a Flareon by any chance?"

"No. Ice type trainer."

"Classy. What I was going to say originally was that in photos with apparitions, whatever is manifesting would look more like a mist, would be translucent and wouldn't be so dark in colour - closer to a white or grey, in fact."

"I know. I've seen apparitions in photos before."

"Really?"

"Yes. I've got a lot of experience in weird paranormal stuff."

"Really? Like how?"

"Well, I sometimes see my dead siblings at night and one time when I was video chatting with my parents, they could see orbs and other spooky shit going wild behind me. But I wasn't even moving, so I couldn't have been dust." There was a moments silence.

"Wow. That's actually very fascinating."

"Back to my original question, do you have any idea on what the picture might be?" He sighed on his end.

"I can answer a lot of things, Miss Sky, but this... I'm not really sure I even know what I'm looking at. If I could answer you, I would. But this looks like something for Looker and Anabel."

"Do you think it might have anything to do with Casha going missing?"

"It is entirely possible, but we can't jump to conclusions just yet." There was a minute or so of silence. "You still there?"

"Yeah. I'm still here for... some reason"

"You are aware of your return to Alola, correct?"

"Of course. I've been trying to avoid it,"

"I know you don't want to do this-"

"Then why are you making me? I'm not gonna be able to train Niekramant. What do you need me for?"

"We're trying to learn more about it."

"What don't you already know? You even knew it was weak to fire!"

"You'll find out when you get here." The call hung up. It took all my restraint not to throw my phone at the wall. Why was he being so secretive? I didn't want to to have to go to Alola when the school holidays rolled around, but now that Gladion was going to tell me everything, I felt like I was now obliged. Maybe that was his intention from the start. Baiting me into a trap with answers.

I hoped that wasn't the case.

*

"Aether Foundation scientist Lillie Aether has been reported missing. She disappeared from her workstation in Kanto late last night and no sign of her can be tracked. Her relatives in Kanto have attempted to find her, but have come to no avail. They report she left her late shift, only to never show up back home. Her scarf and bag were left behind with no trace of anything every happening to her. The search for her has begun and if she is not found in three days, the search will go global."

"Right. And any update on the disappearance of Casha Danielle from Nuholani, Cecil?"

"Well so far, Amanda, there hasn't been any sign of her. Not even any signs of a body. I should think that if there's still no leads by the end of the month, we can close the case and declare her dead - just another unsolved murder mystery for the YouTubers to ponder over in their countdown lists. If it is murder at all... We might be dealing with something of a red herring here. You're guess is just about as good as mine... And now the weather."


	3. Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mystery is growing. The holidays come.
> 
> Answers are on their way... Just... Maybe not all of them

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bleh. I practically shit this chapter. I don't really like it too much, but I really want to get this uploaded and get on to the good shit.

The days that followed that reveal were a horror I never expected. Casha's case waa eventually left behind for other things. It had been weeks without any leads. Just, nothing ever came up... But more people were to be found. In just one week of Casha disappearing and the Pellipers searching for her, eleven more people went missing. I highlighted the disappearance of Lillie before, but there were so many more. The other ten ranged from basic trainers to a literal regional champion.

In order, with addition information to specify certain things, here is everyone that disappeared in one week:

1\. Casha Danielle - Student - Nuholani  
2\. Lillie Aether - Scientist - Kanto  
3\. Andrew Stanton - Pokemon Trainer - Hoenn  
4\. Astraea Cybele - Gym Leader - Sinnoh  
5\. Augustine Sycamore - Regional Professor - Kalos  
6\. Isaiah Baker - Pokemon Trainer - Ellada  
7\. Thea Lyall - Champion - Unova  
8\. Falkner Violet - Gym Leader - Johto  
9\. Jackson Sindile - Student - Solria  
10\. Mina Grace - Pokemon Trainer - Karee  
11\. Kiawe Amber - Trial Captain - Alola  
12\. Scarlett Miller - Pokemon Trainer - Saksa 

As you can see, the disappearances were getting out of hand. Two gym leaders, a trail captain, a champion, a scientist, a regional professor and six trainers. In the span of one week. Those naysayers couldn't say much now, could they? This was in the strangest events of disappearances in history. Not even in the Great War did so many people disappear like this. They had always turned up in the end as victims taken by enemies. Some were enslaved, but not many. The war didn't involve humans much. And now, in modern times, when no war was being found at the time, people were disappearing like flys. It didn't make sense.

I couldn't wrap my head around why it was happening so suddenly or what was causing it. All I know is, the situation became more dire when it wasn't just Casha when I addressed Gladion or really anyone else about it. It was no longer, 'stop worrying, miss Sky'. It was 'this is an actual problem'... And yet, even when his sister was missing, he still insisted that 'you are still coming to Alola when your holidays come for the testing and training'. 

Yeah, sure. I'm only going so I can get answers. 

You really don't have your priorities straight either.

But I noticed something strange about one of the disappearances. The disappearance of Asrtaea Cybele. A girl named Maybelle Tucker claimed that it wasn't just a disappearance - that she was taken by a Pokemon. 

A black Typhlosion. 

"It appears that yet another person has disappeared. Psychic type gym leader, Astraea, from Sinnoh, went missing just an hour ago. She was reported by a frazzled friend of hers, a girl named Maybelle, who made a rather startling report of claiming she saw exactly what took her. Here is the footage from the police station when came in to report that Astraea was missing." The screen then flicked to a video of a girl with a blurred out face. She was standing at the front desk of a police station, talking frantically.

Maybelle: I have a disappearance to report.

Officer: disappearance?

Maybelle: yes. She was taken.

Officer: who was 'taken'?

Maybelle: Astraea. She runs a gym in downtown Hearthome City. The new Psychic gym leader.

Officer: does she now?

Maybelle: don't play dumb with me. My ****friend is gone! (Note the homophobic censorship on that. She clearly said girlfriend, but we can't be corrupting the minds of the children, am I right?) She was taken!

Officer: okay, you said she disappeared. But she was taken?

Maybelle: yes, that's what I've been saying!

Officer: who took her?

Maybelle: a Pokemon!

Officer: a Pokemon took her? (This guy is so ignorant, let me tell ya)

Maybelle: yes! A Typhlosion!

Officer: was it domesticated? 

Maybelle: I don't know! It didn't even look real! It was sort of half formed and black. Like a moving shadow!

Officer: is it possible your eyes tricked you?

Maybelle: 20/20, ************. I saw it.

Officer: ma'am, please calm down.

Maybelle: how can I? Astraea is gone!

Officer: whatever you say. What's your name?

Maybelle: it's Maybelle Tucker, but what's it to you?

Officer: okay, Maybelle. *typing something out* when was Astraea taken by the Pokemon?

Maybelle: ten minutes ago.

Officer: where did this event occur?

Maybelle: just outside Snowpoint City.

Officer: did you see her being taken directly?

Maybelle: yes.

Officer: can you describe it for me?

Maybelle: we were walking along the route on our way to the city for a break when we were heard noise coming from a cave in the forest. We went to check it out, when the Typhlosion jumped out of the cave. And then it...

Officer: then it what?

Maybelle: it touched her and that was the end of it. Shadows surrounded her like chains and dragged her into the ground and the Typlosion went with her.

The rest of the report was spent on the reporters calling her a crazy fool,,saying that there was no such thing as shadow Pokemon and that her eyesight really must have been tricking her to think that Astraea was dragged into the ground. But it correlated with something I had found already.

A shadow Pokemon.

A disappearance.

Flareon to Casha.

Typlosion to Astraea.

The mystery never stopped growing.

*

Last day of school. I was visiting the workshop one last time before the holidays. I opened the door, shifting my bag on my shoulder.

"It's ya girl!" I called into the room with a smirk.

"Ugh, not y'all again!" Guzma replied from the back of the workshop. I kept walking as he poked his head out from behind the back room. 

"You won't be dealing with me for the next two weeks, so you might as well throw yourself a party." I shrugged my bag once more, still approaching the back room.

"Not unless ya've got more to ya mission." 

"The only other part to my mission is getting answers."

"Wow. Could ya stop with the saltiness? Ah get it. Y'all want answers."

"I've got two mysteries going on. 1. Niekramant. Everything to do with that f**ker. And 2. The disappearances. I want at least one of these conflicts resolved so I can get a break."

"The disappearances aren't your problem. Don't-"

"Overdo it?" He froze when I finished the sentence for him.

"Ah was gonna say 'take it upon yaself to solve it'." I grunted in reply.

"I just... I really want it all left behind. I captured Niekramant. I fulfilled the prophecy... It's over..." He gave me a sheepish look.

"Ah kinda get the feeling it ain't over yet."

"I know that. It's just," I sat down on one of the benches, facing him. "Why can't it be over?" He shrugged, adjusting his sunglasses.

"Some people have a story. Guess yours just spans somethin more." I blushed.

"I'm a nobody."

"You're the one in the prophecy of Niekramant."

"Maybe you were wrong. There's got to be other teenage girls with glasses and a Growlithe who lives here. Maybe I wasn't the one." He said nothing, merely pulled his hood over his head.

"How bout we battle when the holidays end? Y'all'll be stronger than when we first battled." He said, obviously changing the subject.

"Yeah. I might even beat you this time." We both stood up, grinning. We knew it was true.

"Alright. Ah'll see ya then." He pulled me into a hug and I returned it without a moments hesitation. 

"See ya then... Unless some other thing comes up and we meet again."

"Probably... Y'all'll call me, right?"

"No shit. I'll text you every day. If you need to, you can call too. My phones never too far from my hand."

"What about Alola? When y'all are doing the experiments?" I ticked it over. 

"Yeah, maybe not then. Otherwise, whenever you want to." There was a blessed moment of silence.

"Ah'll miss ya." I flushed over, clutching him tighter.

"I'll miss you too." We lingered on the hug for one moment longer, then let go.

*

Holidays. First term finally over. I barely managed to keep up, but somehow, my progress report turned out fine. Mostly B's as normal but, since I had barely attended because of the whole mission, I was more than just impressed.

But all that is besides the point. The first Monday of the holidays, it was on the ferry back to Alola for yet another time. Astrid was by my side, awkwardly flicking her legs as we sat by the railings. She didn't really know why I had brought her along. I hadn't given an explanation... Until then of course.

"Why are you bringing me? Isn't this a private thing?" She asked as the sail was just about coming to a close and Alola was on the horizon.

"I just want company..." I was very much lying and couldn't really contain what the actual truth of it was... But I had to be subtle about it, you know. "And you'll get to see Gladion." I flicked my eyebrows for a moment as she looked away DREAMILY. 

She very, very quickly snapped out of it.

"Was this just another of your hookup plans?!"

"Woah, I wouldn't call it 'hookup plan'. More of a 'you-both-actually-talk-to-each-other plan'."

"Uh, he'll be working with you the entire time!"

"Not the entire time!" We caught many stares from the surrounding people. With the holidays now underway, there was a lot more people leaving for vacations in Alola. We both gave them sheepish looks, holding our bags close. "Keep it down." I said, batting her in the arm.

"Well, aren't we staying at Aether Paradise the whole time? What am I supposed to do?"

"Challenge the league, go and buy as many Malasadas as you can, get a Z-ring, do an island challenge - you could beat it. There's a LOT to do in Alola. Gladion won't try to stop you from leaving." The rest of way to Melemele was spent in silence, waiting for the marina to be in sight and for us to board the next ferry out. Upon arrival, we were met by two familiar faces.

"Alola! Astrid! Hazel! Wonderful seeing you again! Especially you, Hazel. It's a comfort know you aren't dead." It was Hau, accompanied by Sia. I could tell he was trying to make light of it all, but it wasn't really working (it might have been, I was just eager to get answers. I mean, Aether Paradise was so close. Answers were so close). 

"Alola to you both." Sia said casually, lifting a hand in a wave.

"Well this is sure the royal treatment! We didn't know you'd be here!" Astrid exclaimed, looking happier than I was expecting. She ran over to them, beaming. I hunkered over my suitcase, walking over at my own burly pace.

"Gladion told us you would be arriving! Thought we'd meet you!" Hau said in excited explanation.

"You mean, thought you would appreciate not waiting alone for the ferry to Aether Paradise." Sia clarified. I tried my best to ignore the scars on her arms. 

"Oh... That makes sense." Astrid replied. I had finally gotten over, dropping Astrid's beach bag in annoyance. She had forgotten it back when we left the boat.

"Lovely seeing you both. I don't suppose Gladion told you we were coming?" I asked, closing my eyes to the cool beach breeze.

"Oh yeah." Sia remarked almost sarcastically.

"He was very excited." Hau continued, slyly winking at me. I grinned. We both know what we were thinking about. 

"When's the ferry to Aether Paradise go out?" Astrid asked, frustration in her tone. She must have gotten the joke.

"Five minutes."


	4. Experiments and chill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Experiments on a creature that nearly killed me and the disappearance of yet another friend...
> 
> Also, Gladion has abs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And you bitches thought chapter 16 of Stay for the Sirens was long. HAH!! 18 pages this bitch is.
> 
> This ones important my friends. It addresses quite a lot of things. It's got some pretty knarly stuff mixed with some really chill stuff. But even the chill stuff shouldn't go unnoticed.
> 
> Also, a little side note: Lani in Hawaiian has many meanings, most commonly heaven. But it also stands for sky and is used as the name meaning sky. 'A'ole means 'no'.

The ferry stopped at the docks of Aether Paradise. Hau and Sia took responsibility of Astrid and my things, urging me to go to the labs as quick as possible. Heeding their advice, I gave them my suitcase and ran to the elevator, going to the laboratory levels. I turned right and ran through the doorway, feeling intimidated by the loud sound of the ocean around me.

"I'M HERE, I'M QUEER AND I WANT ANSWERS!" I shouted as I almost broke down the door to secret Lab A.

"Yes, I'm aware. Do have a seat." Gladion replied, already sitting at the lab table with his arms folded across his chest. He gestured at the empty seat beside him.

"About the queer, the here or the answers part?" I asked, making my way around the table and pulling the seat out.

"Every single one." I swear there was a hint of pink in his cheeks as I sat down. He sighed and uncrossed his arms, as if he knew I noticed.

"Okay. You have a lot to say."

"Another thing I'm aware of. If you could specify what you want to know, that would be much appreciated." I got right into it.

"Why did you want to catch Niekramant in the first place?"

"Well, we had many reasons. The first reason was because we wanted to learn more about it without entering Hyper Space. The second was because Pokemon were disappearing in SnowPoint city, which you know is near the Alter of Shadows and we hypothesised that the creature within it was responsible. And the final reason was because of the eclipses."

"Eclipses?"

"The Alter of Shadows has influxes of strange energy in certain times and our monitoring of it through the years has led us to believe that if an eclipse strong enough were to occur, it would allow Niekramant to escape Hyper Space and without a challenger, would destroy Sinnoh and attempt to wreak havoc on the rest of us." There was a moment of silence. 

"So... You wanted it to be rid of before a chance of that strong eclipse were to pass?"

"Precisely."

"Why did you need me to do it for you?" Gladion let out a sigh.

"When we did field research inside the Ultra Wormhole, we found out many things when they returned. Niekramant had hoarded a sector of Hyper Space to itself and was highly aggressive to the Ultra Beasts in their sector. Fire type attacks seemed to inflict more damage on it when it was attacked like that. And one thing correlated with the Unowns message in the Alter... They all heard someone speaking. Speaking of a destined challenger. A female with glasses. A Growlithe by her side. A descendant of Nuholan blood." That correlated with the translation at the alter and the pictogram. My hammering heart palpitated to a stop.

"That's what they heard them saying?"

"Not to quote. It sounded more mystical than that."

"Well can you quote?"

"I think it was," He leaned back and closed his eyes, recollecting. "'Amongst the eclipse of ages, when all is cast in shadows, a flame will appear to conquer the daytime dream. A girl with the age of a teen, the blood of the Nuholan nation coursing through her veins and armour on her eyes will come forth with a dog of fire and together, they will defeat the God of necromancy." He opened his eyes again. I didn't make a reply. "You fit that perfectly, Sky."

"You made that up."

"I made up nothing. We were searching for someone who would fulfil the prophecy. A teenage girl from Nuholani who wears glasses and has a Growlithe. And when you actually had the bravery to face Guzma and get that Growlithe back after it was taken... It just proves that you were the one." I cringed. Didn't they realise how many doubts I had had about that? And about the fact that when the final battle had begun, I had nearly jumped off the stage.

"I have another question."

"Ask away."

"What am I here for? What do you want with Niekramant now?"

"Two questions, first of all......" He trailed off.

"Answer me."

"There's some experimenting me need to do in relation to Niekramant and another Pokemon. There's been some things we've found lately that need to be addressed and very quickly now that... I've said too much. I wasn't supposed to say that. Forget that I said that last bit about quickly."

"Why quickly?"

"That's of no matter, Hazel! What matters is that it needs to be addressed!"

"Fine! It needs to be addressed! What needs addressing?"

"Originally it was just addressing certain similarities between Niekramant and Necrozma. And while we'll of course be considering that as there seems to be some very strange things that both may have in common, I'm trying to testify another connection between them... They both came from Hyper Space, but possess no Ultra Energy as anything that exits the Ultra Wormhole should."

"Both? But you haven't done any tests on Niekramant yet."

"That's why I'm trying to testify it." There was a long pause.

"Wait... You said you didn't want to go into Hyper Space to learn about it... But you did field research in there!" He looked away nervously.

"The mission took a long time, involving trial and error to find the girl we were looking for. We grew impatient for answers and so did what we needed to." I hid a stoic glare from him. Grew impatient for answers, huh?

"You said Pokemon were disappearing from SnowPoint City." He nodded. "When did it start?"

"When the mission started. It was one of our first prompts to begin it in the first place."

"Did you suspect that people would maybe get taken too?" He paused and then sighed.

"We thought it was possible. It could have advanced at any moment to taking people as well..."

"But we caught Niekramant and only then did humans start getting taken... And on top of that, the first person to get taken was in Nuhola, not Sinnoh like you would've predicted." He groaned.

"I know. I have a hypothesis on it, but that's where Necrozma comes in."

"You left that bit out last time."

"I'm not saying anything yet. You don't need to worry about it. Besides, you were the one who stopped me from going on further."

"You saying I shouldn't worry about it makes me worry and you were the one who took a long time to restart the conversation." He groaned another time, giving me a strange look.

"Do you really want to know?" I nodded. "We think Niekramant might have minions." My eyes widened. "Hear me out! Necrozma left the Ultra Wormhole with the Ultra Beasts in the event six years ago. I think it might have sent to do a scope of the world before any definitive plans of attack could be made. And... If you don't already know, we've been doing this mission since three years ago." I gasped.

"Three years?!"

"It's been a long time. At first, I didn't think much of Necrozma. But then the disappearances starting occurring. It seemed strange and all we tracked was Niekramant, eventually making some connection between it and Necrozma. And from what I'm gathering, it seems as if Necrozma is some high power minion... Do take this all with a grain of salt, Hazel. It's just a hypothesis." On that last part, it sounded like he was purposefully trying to make me feel better.

"Just a hypothesis?" I murmured, but he caught it anyway.

"Please don't worry about it until I've proved it right or wrong. I know you have a problem with these things." 

"How do you know I have a problem with these things?"

"Miss Rivers kindly told me that you have crippling anxiety while we were still under the impression you were dead." There was a moment of silence.

"So she snitched on me."

"I think she was trying to turn me onto you, not snitch."

"Turn you onto me? When you both thought I was dead?"

"Maybe she knew you were alive."

"She was snitching."

"Whatever you say, Sky." There was long pause, the both of us eyeing each other off awkwardly. Then he sighed, glancing away. He sat forward, setting his elbows on the counter and cupping his chin in his palms. "Does Astrid ever talk about me?" He asked, his face suddenly growing a little brighter.

"Oh yeah. She talks about how much she hates you, but if I catch her off guard with a question about you, she gets a little dreamy." He blushed, covering his mouth his hands and looking away with dream eyes. I suspect he was hiding a dopey smile from me. He sat like that for a little while, his shoulders shaking with muffled laughter. Eventually the smile showed - a dopey little, lovestruck grin. "Hey! Peabrain!" I shouted. His response was priceless, ending up with him on the floor from surprise. 

"That was not funny!" He yelled back through my immense laughter.

"It was." I managed through laboured breaths. He glared and stood up, brushing off his lab coat. 

"We best be off now. We can't waste time on the tests... Do you know where Plumeria is?" I shrugged.

"I haven't seen her since... Since before I left for Sinnoh."

"Oh aren't you just a wonderful help, miss Sky." He brushed past me, almost already at the door. I stood quickly, losing my grip on reality from the sudden movement.

"Why do we need Plumeria?" I asked as I ran to catch up with him.

"She was supposed to assist us with the experiments." We exited Secret Lab A and entered the hallway. We made our way to through the hall. I felt intimidated by the sound of the ocean surrounding me, but tried to ignore it. This ship wouldn't sink. Not now.

"What's the plan?" I asked.

"The plan is that you will release Niekramant into the solitary testing chamber. You will run as fast as you can back up the stairs and into the hallway again while seal it in. I'll have to enhance the security and containment functions to maximum so it can't make any forms of escape. Then you go straight ahead from stairs and to the first door to your left. It'll be about a quarter way down the entire wall. Then you go up the stairs of it to the observation deck. We'll be able to run the diagnostics and tests from there." We went to the platform area and went through the door to the right. "Welcome to the testing laboratories." 

I looked around. It was the same white surfaces and such, only here, there was no sound of the ocean and it stunk of bleach. I assumed that was for quarantine purposes. There was a long hallway with doors dotting both walls. As I suspected, each door was marked with a sign that read 'quarantine lab ?'. Each door was marked with a different number and letter combination. "Don't worry about all these. We've been taking drafts to help cure diseases. Currently, we haven't had a volunteer help us for almost a year, but they're always here in case we need them."

"They're research labs." I said aloud as we began passing the room and going to the end of the hallway.

"Basically yes. They're a bit like the secrets labs, but they have extra compartments for monitoring things such as blood tests, x-Ray's. I'm sure you get it." I nodded. We reached the end of the hallways and there was a fork in the road. To the right, there was a staircase at the end that went further downwards and one door halfway between the staircase and the fork. To the left, there was almost the same, aside for the hallway branching left off of that. "This way." He ushered me to the left. He walked me to the stairs at the end of the hallway. "You go down here into the main testing chamber. Release Niekramant on my signal."

"What's your signal?"

"You'll know when I give it." I pointed down the hallway to my left.

"What's down there?"

"The research and invention hub and the cryo-chambers. That's where we constructed your Shadow Ball." He gestured at my trainer bag, which he presumed would contain the Shadow Ball. I opened the bag and pulled it out, causing him to give it a guilty downward glance. "Yes. That one." He looked away from me and at the wall, clearly avoiding eye contact at all costs. He whispered something I didn't catch, then pushed my shoulder forward to the stairs. "Just go and wait for my signal." He turned, walking to the room halfway, opening it and disappearing inside. 

My legs suddenly felt weak. We were here already. Already it was time for the experiments to begin. I wasn't sure if I was ready, but I had to be strong. I had to do this, even if I didn't want to. I descended the stairs on unsteady feet, clutching the strap of my bag against my chest tightly. It wasn't a far walk, but I was prepared for even it to end so quickly, wouldn't I be walking forever? Couldn't I walk forever and ignore that this needed to be done?

The room was spacious; a large cube of white with strangely panelled walls. Cameras were in each corner of the room, sweeping back and forth over everything. A panel was stationed in the centre of the room, circular and with strange coloured ripples in it. There was a window in one of the walls, showing an observation deck on the other side, where Gladion was prepping some equipment. I gazed up at him, waiting for his supposed signal. He caught my gaze, giving me a slight nod. I almost went to throw the ball, only he kept clicking away at something in the observation deck. I stayed in my place, aware I would need to make a quick escape. I kept my gaze around the room.

My phone buzzed and I removed it from my pocket. A text. It was from... Vampire Turkey. I rolled my eyes and opened the message. 'You are so easily distracted. I could have made the signal when you looked down.' Being mature about it, I responded with,

'Go fuck yourself'

'Look up.' I glanced to the side.

'No'

'Sky, there's no need to be difficult'

'Yes there is'

'Sky I'm making the signal already'

'Really?'

'Fucking look up and see'

'I'm unable to perform that task'

'HAZEL' A call came through. I risked a glance up at the observation deck. He had his phone aggressively held to his ear and he was making a throwing motion with his other hand. I accepted the call with a smirk.

"Hello?" I snorted on holding back a laugh.

"HAZEL ISABELLA SKY."

"Woah, I didn't know it was my mother talking. Must've mixed up the caller ID's."

"You know exactly who you're talking to. Stop stalling. Throw it already." I looked up and made one more forceful throwing motion, proceeding to end the call. Making a moe face, I out my phone away and grabbed the Shadow Ball. I hesitated, unaware of what might happen when it was thrown. Would it just start attacking immediately? Would I even have time to run? I could see Gladion's mouth moving, like he speaking words, but there was no sound to be heard from him.

I took a leap and threw the ball.

It opened and a colony of shadows spilled from the ball, the entire chamber growing cold in an instant. There was a loud wind, seeming swirl and surround me like I was in the edges of a cyclone. I almost froze in place as Niekramant began to form, unwanted memories flooding back. It had been weeks. I had almost forgotten. But my senses returned as red pinpoints began to form in the mist of black shadows, and I was off running back up the stairs. I grabbed my phone, booting up a call. He picked up in no less than one ring, right as I reached the top of the stairs.

"YOU CAN CLOSE THE DOOR!!" I shrieked and the door slammed shut behind me, just as the darkness was about to burst through. I sprinted to the next door, throwing it open and crossing the long spaced staircase to the observation deck. I collapsed at Gladion's feet, panting. It was not a good idea to flog it up the stairs... Twice.

"Nice work, miss Sky. Though, I would appreciate not having my eardrums implode." I raised a hand defensively, still breathing unevenly.

"I handled... That sit... Situation rather... Well, thank you." He only made an 'mm hmm' noise, typing something and switching to another screen. I urged myself to sit up, looking around. It wasn't very spacious, unlike the chamber itself. Where the glass was, there was a controls desk, with many monitors and devices, all scanning, collecting and correlating. After catching my breath, I stood up and peered out the window to the testing chamber.

It was a shroud of shifting black, a mass much darker and familiar in it. There was red somewhere in there, indicating its eyes. I cringed, nearly hiding behind the desks again. Gladion must've caught my look of fear, because he paused his incessant tapping away at screens, turning to me momentarily.

"It can't hurt you, you know." I let out a sigh, turning to him.

"I know..." I glanced away, uncertain. "It's just-" I was cut off as something hit the glass. "WHAT WAS THAT?!" Already on edge, I ended up screaming the question. Gladion quickly turned his attention back to the screens.

"Goddamnit! Reinforce stasis shields!" I could tell he was an expert at this trade, because even though he was in a panic, he was practiced in everything. A once blank screen blinked on, a word written on it. I blinked down at it. It wasn't English. It wasn't anything I understood. "Got it!" Just as he yelled that, there was another thwart against the glass, only it stopped just before the glass, a film of wavering blue light expelling from the impact. I realised it was one of the snake heads.

"Gladion... What's this screen for?" He looked over at it, brow furrowed. He flicked his plait and adjusted his lab coat.

"It's a thought translator. I've already got the probes in place, so it's scanning it's thoughts and-" I cut him off.

"What does polymia mean?" He paused, raised his finger as if he would say something informant, then let out a small groan. He placed his hand over his mouth, pondering.

"I... I'm not sure. It could mean any number of things. Im not quizzed in any languages other than English and native Alolan." Distracting myself from the situation and the unknown word, I asked him a random question.

"Say something in native Alolan!" He sighed, rolling his eyes.

"'A'ole, Lani..." He muttered as he turned away, disregarding what the translator was saying (and probably me as well). "Okay, so we need to start running the first diagnostics before I can make any definitive experimental decisions."

"You can go back to English now, thanks."

"Alright. Get base info first. Decide experiments after."

"Okay, I'm not that dumb." He didn't reply, only started pressing things again. I peered over his shoulder, almost straining. Either he got taller since we'd last met, or I got shorter. I thought we were the same height. But that's off topic and I need to stop doing that.

I can't really say much about it. We spent a bit of time in silence while he started running the first few tests to 'run the diagnostics'. I wasn't included for that bit, so I kept track of the translator, which was now blank, though I could have sworn the word changed at least once before I turned away. I don't remember what to or what it meant. After the base diagnostics were done, he spent about ten minutes writing out data and importing it to his tablet.

"Interesting." He muttered nearing the end of his endless stream of typing.

"What?"

"It has... A pathogen on it."

"Excuse me? A pathogen?"

"A pathogen is-"

"I know what a pathogen is, you sunburnt turkey. I mean... Like a real disease?"

"Yes. A virus pathogen. Disease causing. I..." He trailed off, running a hand through his fringe and sweeping it back off his face completely. It was a slight surprise to see that his second eye actually exists. He turned around, looking around the control room. He knelt down and pressed his hand to the bottom of the console, opening a panel I hadn't realised existed. He took out a test tube of sorts. "Looks like we're gonna have to find out what it is and what it does." He swept a revolving screen aside and pressed another panel, opening some strange device. He uncorked the vial and inserted it into the new device.

"What are you doing?"

"Withdrawing the pathogen. That little thing is reinforced to the shithouse, so don't panic." He tapped the test tube at the base of it. The mechanism it was now plugged into was suddenly glowing with a screen and a button started flashing. Gladion pushed me aside to be right in front of it, pressing the button without thinking. The screen then showed words.

Gathering substance...

We waited for a short while to which I found myself toying with Gladion's braid. He let me fiddle with it for a while, but soon it grew to be an annoyance to him. "Sky. If you have to play with somebody's hair, make it your own." He told me, but I didn't stop, eventually flicking his fringe for the sole purpose of spiting him. It didn't take long for him to grab me by the wrist, drag me to the corner of the room and hold me there.

We must've been there for ten minutes, standing and waiting in the corner and the moniters showed no change. Nothing was in the test tube. It was a lost cause. Gladion released me. "It makes no sense... The data said it was in there. Readings of a disease. Unknown, of course. Why won't it gather it already?" Lucky for him, the machine chirped. 

Substance obtained. Capacity 4%...

"Finally." I said, heaving a relieved sigh.

10%...

36%...

45%...

57%...

69%...

72%...

Error.

"What?" The message on the screen was that there was insufficient 'light' to complete the process. It looked like nothing was even in the test tube, but then again, it was a virus we were dealing with. "What does it mean 'insufficient light'?" He passed a hand over it. "It makes no-" he was cut off as the error message went away and...

100% complete

The test tube was now full of something murky and black. It reminded me of what the shadow unit had looked like. "There we have it." There was uncertainty in his voice, but there was also satisfaction. He went to touch it, only to rip his hand back. "God, it's cold!" He yelled, showing me the new scorch marks on his fingertips. "It shouldn't be as bad as this!" 

"Maybe we should just leave it to warm up a bit?"

"No. We have to get this to Wicke to analyse. We can't just sit here and wait."

"There's more experiments to do, isn't there?" There was a pause, then he chuckled.

"You're right." He straightened his lab coat, smoothed out his hair and clapped his hands together. "We've got work to do miss Sky."

*

"Was that a success or a failure?" I asked as Gladion and I exited the observation chamber.

"We can't make any conclusions until we've done the experiment on Necrozma as well, but we'll need to meet Sia for that."

"Right." We walked down to the quarantine labs.

"Hey! What'd I miss?" Plumeria asked as she slid from lab B1 and into the hallway, joining Gladion and I.

"The entire thing. As I recall, you were supposed to be assisting us with that." Gladion replied, amusement in his voice. Plumeria shrugged and gave us a smirk, falling into step beside us.

"I was on break." 

"The whole time?"

"Look, Salazzle was sick and I was hoping you had something in one of these labs. Nothing much to it. Not that I could've helped with anything..." We turned one corner, only one hallway away from reaching the main that ran through the quarantines. 

"Well, did you find what you were looking for?"

"You assholes don't keep it in obvious places do you?"

"We keep it in hidden storage in case thieves like yourself rock up looking." Plumeria made an amused sound.

"I was gonna pay for it!"

"I personally find that hard to believe." That's when we turned the corner to main corridor and my eye caught something unexpected... Very unexpected.

"What is that?" I asked, cutting into their conversation. What I was seeing was... A shadow. The wavering shadow form of an Ekans. And if my eyes weren't mistaking me, a Rebel Black at that. The head shape gave it away. But it didn't look quite right... It almost looked transparent. Translucent to be proper... Like the Flareon in the picture. They halted their yabbering, both pausing behind me.

"Good question." Plum murmured, taking a curios step forward. Gladion stopped her.

"Don't get any closer. It could be dangerous." He said, a twinge of incomprehensible emotion setting his tone. 

"No shit, Sherlock." Plum remarked in reply. The shadow stood stock still, occasionally flicking a slitted tongue at us. It was a Mexican standoff for a minute or two. "I'm gonna fight it." She threw a pokeball forward in a second, taking a run up and standing face to face with the shadow.

"PLUM NO!!!" Gladion screamed, almost running after her. But it was already too late.

"Crobat use Pursuit!" Plumeria commanded and her Crobat was forward for the attack. I don't know how... But it failed. The shadow dodged the attack like it was nothing. Then it went and bit Crobat as it tried to escape the next attack. Plum cringed, a growl coming from her throat. Already, Crobat looked weak. I wanted to run forward and stop her from fighting anymore, but Gladion kept a steady hand to my shoulder, just like I kept one to his. "Use Air Slash!" She hissed, taking a step forward. It did as was told...

It didn't hit. This thing - this Rebel Black... It couldn't be real. It literally couldn't be.

The creature used another sharp bite into Crobat's wing. Plumeria let out not a growl, but a yelp. I checked my phone which was monitoring the battle despite it not being my own. The opposition was merely a cluster of question marks and Crobat was all out of HP. It fell to the ground and Plum took out her pokeball for it, but was cut off of saving it.

It's shadow grew darker on the ground, then began to levitate. "What the...?" Plum fell back in shock, knocking into me. We all stared wide eyed at what was going on before us. The fresh shadows began to surround Crobat as it visibly grew weaker. Black blood wept from the bite in its wings, causing Plum to cringe. The sight was familiar to me, as much as I hate to admit it. It was dead and was being taken by necromancy. To an unknown world.

You didn't need Niekramant for that.

Within a minute, Crobat was gone and there was no sign of it. The shadows had receded into the ground, leaving the floor the same sea of white as always. The Rebel Black stood stock still again, now managing to look us all in the eyes. Plumeria whimpered. It flicked it's tongue menacingly, continuing its stoic glare. Gladion's hand tensed up. "It took... It took Crobat." Her voice was almost a whisper.

Then her tense stare turned into fury and she let out a guttural growl, running forward before Gladion or I could even react. "I'LL KILL YOU!!" She screamed at the Pokemon, giving it a swift kick when she got close enough. She managed to make the hit, sending embers of shadow off in all directions. Most of it's form stayed the same. It shifted from where her boot had connected with it and...

Plumeria's shadow suddenly began to lift and darken, a ring of sorts forming around the ankle of the foot which made the assault. She gasped, giving her leg a quick flick as if get it off... It didn't work. The darkening shadows wrapped around her second ankle and her wrists as well, forming bondages. She let out a yell of panic, freezing in place and glaring at the clamps. By now, the shadows had become completely black and were gathering at the clamps formed at her joints. They were even beginning to shift in shape, forming something new.

Chains.

They were forming chains.

The chains latched onto the cuffs, automatically starting to drag Plumeria down. She let out a strangled cry, visibly straining her arms to keep them up. Her feet were already beginning to sink into the ground. The Ekans did nothing but stare. Straining against it all, Plumeria turned her head, her stare of pure terror, whimpering as she murmured a feeble cry for help. Her feet slipped and she stumbled, only just managing to keep herself from the chains that were now literally pulling her into the shadows.

My heart was in my throat, sweat forming on my brow. I'm sure we all felt the same way in that moment. "GUYS!!" Plumeria shouted, now truly panicking. Her biceps were tensed as she kept forcing her arms up, but her feet were sinking. Her eyes were wild with terror. But Gladion and I were glued to the spot, frozen. Behind Plum, the Rebel Black flicked its tongue as if nothing was happening. As if it could see through her. 

Then it lunged. It tackled Plumeria in the back, knocking her to the ground. Her feet totally slipped and her legs were gone, consumed in the shadow beneath her. The chains on her wrists were straining harder than ever to drag her all the way back into the shadow. Plum clawed at us, continued to cry for us. Without thinking, I ran forward, planning to grab Plum's hand and try to drag her back out. 

The Rebel Black glitched right in front of me, it's wavering form in front of my face in an instant. I screamed in terror, going backwards from fear. It landed on Plumeria's wrist, bit one of the chains and yanked back. Plum jerked backwards with the action, one hand still tensed and outstretched for our help. This time, Gladion went after her, this time actually managing to grab her hand. With every force he had, he hauled her back.

Only whatever force was dragging her down was far stronger than him. His feet slipped forward as he tried to drag her, but she made no move toward him. The Rebel Black pulled the same stunt it did on me, making him let go of Plum's hand. She shrieked in horror, knowing what would come next. It landed on her wrist... Bit the chain...

And yanked for its life.

There was one last scream and then there was nothing. The Rebel Black was back to standing stock in the hallway. It flicked its tongue at Gladion and I, it's previously glassy black eyes glinting with red light. It barely moved, just stared into a soul. I wanted to run, but fear still had me frozen. It stared into our souls, as if it was scanning to tell if were sinners or saints. Those searing red eyes never left our gaze. Moving so slowly it looked as if it wasn't moving, the shadow moved into the shadows cast by the hallway light and disappeared.

Just like Plumeria.

After a minute of undisturbed silence, Gladion and I turned to each other, eyes wide and faces flourished with panic. Note we were both also breathing like we'd just finished a marathon. And then... 

I'm not even going to try to describe the high pitched, girly screaming from fear that followed from the both of us (and, just between you and me, I've never heard an eighteen year old boy scream so loud). How could we not? That had to be one of the most horrific things we'd ever seen.

"LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!!" I screamed. I started to run, but was stupid enough not to watch where I was going. In my panic, I had decided that going towards the Rebel Black's area was a good idea. Thank god Gladion had the sense to grab my wrist and nearly dislocate my shoulder yanking me back. He gave me the most worried, frantic and scared look I've ever seen on him.

"NOT THAT WAY, YOU FREAKING IDIOT!! THATS WHERE THE THING IS!!" There was concern in his eyes. Genuine concern. 

"WHERE TO THEN?!" I questioned. His head whipped around and after that, we were off and back towards the testing chambers.

"THIS WAY!!" He exclaimed, still gripping my wrist as we ran. We passed the corner where the stairs were and ran for our lives down the hallways of the research labs. We cut through the labyrinth of hallways and labeled doors, eventually coming to a hallway almost identical to the one in the quarantines. "Come on!" He urged me, as I was obviously slowing down and breathing heavily from all the running. The door burst open as we met it and the centre platform of the laboratory level was where we ended up. We ran to the elevator pad.

"What happened? What the hell was that?!" I screamed when we stopped, Gladion punching in the command to go to the conservation deck. 

"I don't know! The way people have been taken this whole... The way they were being taken, that's what we saw!"

"Maybelle wasn't lying on that news report!"

"Minions! The minions! They are real! Shadow Pokemon! They're the minions!" The elevator started moving. Our frantic yelling stopped and we gave each other the same strained gazes. The same brow formation, the same disgust in our gaping mouth, the same terror buried beneath the colour of our eyes.

The same tears of horror gathering at the corners of those terrified eyes.

At the same time, we fell into each other's arms, grasped in a tight, unkept hug. My sobs came out spastically, tears from years of bottling things up spilling forward to accompany those of sheer terror. I wasn't paying much attention for obvious reasons, but I'm guessing Gladion was at least a little cleaner about it. Though my hair was damp by the end of it. We stood in the trembling embrace, crying for as long as the elevator kept moving. It came to a stop and we stayed together for a moment, before breaking in hopes not to bring attention to ourselves. 

We would stick out like sore thumbs anyway; eyes streaming, sobbing instead of breathing, faces a dark shade of red and bodies shaking with fear and unwillingness. Gladion turned to me, wiped a fresh tear off my cheek and stammered, "Let's just find them." We trailed past two tourists snapping selfies who paid us no attention, a few concerned employees who said nothing and a scientist too absorbed in his observations to even know there was anybody around him. Then we found what we were looking for in the form of a loud and shrill voice.

"STOP IT!! SHE DOESN'T LIKE DUDES!! JUST LET ME IN THERE AND I CAN GET HER!!" Astrid. We turned in that direction and caught sight of something that just managed to make us feel a little better. Astrid was clawing her way into a cage, all the while Hau had her restrained with an arm around her chest and hips and was struggling to hold her back. Sia was leaning over the railing and was trying to coax something from in the cage. We trailed over to them, staying silent. We saw what was going on; Matilda had gotten into the Corsela habitat and was happily singing with them and a male employee was in the cage trying to get her out.

We still said nothing, merely leaned over the railings and watched it continue to unfold. The employee tried to coax her with a Malasada. "SHE ONLY LIKES LAMINGTONS, YOU SHITSTAINS!!" Astrid yelled, almost breaking from Hau's grip. "COME ON! I WON'T BREAK ANYTHING THIS TIME!! JUST LET ME GET HER FOR YOU, ARSEHOLES!!" I choked on a sob.

"Just let her do it. Matilda only answers to her." My voice was broken and cracking with every word. Astrid, Hau and Sia all looked over at Gladion and I at the same time, catching our horrible state. 

"Oh my god, are you okay?" Astrid then asked, her voice no longer angry, but concerned. Hau dropped her, covering his mouth in shock. Sia had almost no reaction except for a vague stare that meant surprise. Neither Gladion or I said anything, merely glanced at each other. Astrid, after picking herself up, rushed over to me, throwing her arms around my high waist. "Bae, what's wrong? What happened?" Another bout of hot, anxious tears filtered through my eyelashes as I managed to whisper,

"Plumeria's gone." I weakly put my arms around Astrid in a much needed, familiar hug, sobbing into her forehead. 

"Gone? What do you mean gone?" Sia asked.

"Taken." I stuttered. 

"It's true! She was taken! By the shadow!" Everyone exchanged the same confused glance before Gladion followed my action and found someone to hug, throwing his arms around Hau's shoulders, also back to crying. We spent the next few minutes without a word spoken, just a lot of loud crying and clutching for comfort. After a short while, Gladion and I gave it up, exhausted from it all. We pulled away from our respective friend, awkwardly apologising for our behaviour and exchanging worried glances between just us. Wiping a stray tear from his face, Gladion turned back to the cage and yelled out to the employee.

"You're free to go, Aaron!" His voice was still shaking. The employee looked up at him for a moment, before shrugging and heading off with a whistle (like the comedic ones in the movies). "I'll see if I can get her." He muttered before abruptly throwing off his lab coat (at me, no less) and jumping over the railing into the cage.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" Astrid screamed after him, also jumping in, making Hau groan. Gladion promptly ignored her and waded through the water towards Matilda, his black clothing being cast in her blue glow. "SHE HATES GUYS! YOU'RE NO EXCEPTION, YOU DISGRUNTLED TURKEY!!" She continued to yell. Matilda began shying away again, looking scared beneath her hat. "JUST LEAVE HER TO ME!!" Gladion suddenly spun and looked her dead in the eye.

"Astrid. I understand that she's your Pokemon and that you want to help her and that I'm the last person you want to help you with anything, but for gods sake, let me do something useful for once. Learn from my mistakes that you can't always be the hero you want to be. But you can help sometimes. Even if it's just retrieving a Pokemon after their trainer let it get into a captivity cage." She froze and didn't move. He spun back around and held out a hand, edging a little closer. "Matilda..." She shied away. 

"Stop! JUST STOP!! BE USELESS THIS TIME, FOR F**K'S SAKE!! YOU'RE SCARING HER!!" Astrid clawed at the arm still by his side, yanking it back and trying to force him back with her. He gave her a sad stare, taking his arm back. She sloshed out in front of him, angrily marching through the shallow water. Giving her an almost guilty look, he followed her. "Come on, Tilda. You can come with me now. Let's just gOOO!!" She fell, one foot going far deeper than she thought it would and stumbling majorly. Gladion caught her arm, grabbing beneath her other shoulder and hauling her back up just as soon as it had happened.

"This is just a sandbank, you idiot! It gets deeper from here to the rocks! You could've drowned!" There was real concern in his voice, though he was trying to mask it with blunt anger. "You should have just let me get her!" 

"LIKE I'D TRUST YOU WITH MY PRECIOUS HOMICIDAL GHOST MUTANT BABY!!" He glared and took a step into the deeper water, once again reaching back out to Matilda. The water went up to his waist with just that step. He kept walking, the water continuing to mark higher on him.

"Please Matilda. Just come here. You're mother is getting angry."

"DAMN RIGHT I AM! AT YOU!!" She retorted. He ignored her again.

"You don't trust men, is that right? That's fair. You were drowned by one. A poacher." Up to his shoulders. Matilda looked scared. "Not all of us are like that, Matilda. Some are just here to help you... I get it if you don't want my help. Honestly, I wouldn't either." His neck. "But, if you can understand me, know that I'm not going to hurt you. I wouldn't ever hurt you." He was swimming now, performing a slow and odd stroke, approaching her slowly. Matilda looked like she was considering something. "Please Matilda." He began walking again, this time coming from the water much quicker. He held up his hand again, reaching for Matilda on the rock as slow as he dared to. "I won't hurt you... You've got to trust me." He continued to edge ever so closer...

Matilda purred, nuzzled his hand with a little flush on her lilting face and took his hand with her stub hands. Gladion grinned at his small victory, guiding her back through the water until they were both standing in front of Astrid. She gaped, her face bright with shame.

"MATILDA! WHY DID YOU RUN OFF WITH THE CORSELA! YOU COULDV'E GOT HURT!" Matilda lowered her head in shame. "It's okay, it's okay. Just don't do it again... AS FOR YOU, MISTER AETHER!" He was standing below the sandbank and she could easily hit him, taking advantage of it and slapping him in the face. "THAT'S FOR EVEN GETTING CLOSE TO MY POKEMON!" 

"A thank you would be appreciated, but I guess you won't give it." He muttered, lifting himself back onto the sandbank and standing back up, revealing his drenched clothing. He shivered almost instantly, giving Astrid one last look before heading off to the workers exit hidden somewhere behind some bushes in the cage. Astrid blindly followed him, annoyed. When they appeared again, Gladion was almost blue from cold and Astrid looked ready to murder him. I handed him his lab coat.

"This should keep you warm, at least until you can get changed." He gratefully took it back, giving me a sad smile, his face pink. He put it back on, the white automatically going grey with water.

"Tell Rivers she owes someone a thank you." He whispered to me. "And thank you for the coat."

"It's your coat." I replied. His smile grew broader for a moment, then fell completely as a chill visibly ran up his spine. 

"Fam, where'd you put their things?" He stammered with the chill, hugging himself for warmth.

"Living room. Outside the guest rooms and yours." Sia explained. Hau nodded in approval. 

"By the way, that was awesome! We couldn't lull her out of there for almost half an hour! You did it in, like, two minutes!" I can't tell if Hau was overplaying his enthusiasm, because it seemed very genuine. Right at that moment, Sia groaned, tapping her watch.

"I gotta run and sweep the four. Got another challenger." There was disgust in her tone.

"Alright. See ya later." Hau spoke first, quickly kissing her before she ran off towards the elevator. "Being champion gets in the way a lot." He remarked after she was gone. The three of us nodded.

"Let's get to the mansion and get these two set up for the night."

*

The living room was elaborate and ornate, like the type you would see in featured interior design magazines. The two couches were uniquely patterned, every surfaced shone with polish, including the TV screen and the walls were hung with black and green tapestries. Gold accented most surfaces as well, taking on the corners and edges of the TV cabinet and coffee table. Gladion thought nothing of it as he showed us the upstairs. Astrid had no reaction, having seen it earlier in the day when they first dropped our things off. I, however, stared in amazement.

"Rivers, you'll be staying in this room." Gladion stated as he opened the door closest to the corner of the room, gesturing inside. Astrid made an 'ugh' sound, grabbing her beach bag and other belongings and breezing past him with a snide remark about the placement of her room. "Sky, you'll stay in this one." He opened the door closer to the stairs and gestured inside. I picked up my suitcase and trudged in. He left the door and began talking to Hau in a hushed voice. 

The room was just as I pictured it. Double bed with all white bedding. There was a structure to it, with a sort of roofing over it and black, translucent curtains hanging from it. The structure was painted black in contrast to the white sheeting. There was a nightstand beside it on the far side of the room, a lamp sitting idly on it. A carpet sat before the bed. The same tapestries hung around the walls. Two small tables with decorative plastic plants sat in the two corners to my left. There was a power plug in the far corner, hiding behind the legs of the plant table.

I shoved my suitcase under the bed, not wanting to unpack anything or do anything with it. I just wanted to talk. And to cry. And to have a panic attack and it just be okay. But that wouldn't happen. I sighed, leaving the room and shutting the door behind me, shutting my tired eyes.

"Just go clean yourself up. You've had a pretty rough night and sitting around in those waterlogged clothes isn't going to help. Just have an early day." It was Hau.

"Hau, we haven't even had dinner." Gladion replied.

"I'll cook you something! And for the girls. You just really need to relax for a while."

"I can't relax. I need to close this case. For Hazel's sake. The poor kid just wants answers." I stayed silent.

"I know. She's had a rough time and you just wanna make the ride a little smoother for her. I get it. But think of yourself for once."

"Sia once told me to stop being so self centred."

"That was years ago. When we were doing the poly thing and you were still being a total emo. But this is now. You haven't rested in weeks."

"You mean years... You should just stop worrying about me."

"Hard to when you can't take care of yourself half the time. Where would you be without me, your girlfriend and Wicke?" Gladion didn't reply. "Exactly."

"Ever since Hazel caught that thing in Sinnoh and we thought she was dead, it hasn't stopped and it can't until it's over, said and done. So what if I can't take care of myself? Something is going on. Something is going to happen. I need to find out what it is. Self care shouldn't matter when there/ a possible ap-..." That's when he saw me, trailing off and clamping his mouth shut tight. "We may have said too much." Hau turned to see me, giving me an almost fake smile. 

"Alola, miss Sky."

"Don't you dare put me before yourself. I'm not worth worrying about. A little anxiety never hurt anybody. Sure, the mystery is killing me, but you need a break. Everyone needs a break." I was talking to Gladion.

"You want answers. I'm going to give them to you." He replied, looking frustrated.

"Who cares about answers? Take a break already. You can't be well after swimming in your clothes and then sitting around in them."

"Stop supporting him, Bae." Astrid said from her room door, having only now emerged.

"Gladion... Take a break. Get some rest for once."

"BAE." Gladion gave me a stare before standing up and going into his room, shutting the door behind him. Hau grinned.

"Sounds like you got him, Hazel."

*

There was a knock on the door. "Come in." I called from the corner where my laptop was charging. I removed a headphone and paused my playlist, secretly annoyed at the fact that someone had interrupted my coping time. The door opened and Gladion stepped in, looking much more refreshed. He was wearing a red shirt, dark blue jeans and his hair was in a thin ponytail over his shoulder, still wet from the shower... Okay, maybe a I was a little less annoyed now (would have been for Astrid too). He gave me a look. 

"I've come to apologise and to seek advice." He introduced rather formally.

"You don't need to apologise. The advice I'm willing to give." He looked amused for a second or two.

"I'm sorry."

"Why?"

"I dragged you into this. This stupid prophecy. I'm sure you never wanted it."

"I mean, sure, it's been a hell of a ride, but I got to meet you guys and do stunts I never thought I was capable of."

"But you had to fight Niekramant. You nearly died. You saw Plumeria getting taken. You're getting dragged further into something you never asked for." I shrugged.

"I don't really care."

"I know you're lying."

"So what? I know you care about me, for some reason, but this whole mess... It doesn't effect me anymore. I got answers today and that's all that matters."

"There's more questions."

"They'll be answered in time." I was putting a facade to make the conversation end. He didn't need to apologise to my stupid arse. He sighed in frustration, jamming his hands in his pockets, his brow creased downwards.

"So... Can I get some advice?"

"Try me."

"What should I do about Astrid? She tried to karate chop me when I left my room. I can't see why, but I've got a crush on her while she clearly wants me dead."

"It's like you've been saying... She's a Tsundere. I know she likes you, but she doesn't want to admit it. She'll do anything she can to make it seem like she wants you dead. If you snub her enough, keep away from her and only acknowledge her when necessary, she might start wanting your attention back."

"Might?"

"I'm no professional advice giver. Take what I'm saying with a grain of sand."

"The phrase is 'salt'." 

"I know......... I'm really tired."

"After we get some food, you should just go to bed and get some rest. Not to be rude, but you look terrible... In an exhausted way."

"It's been a long day. First the sea trip. Then the talk. Then the experiments. Then the scarring for life event. Then crying for a long time. Then the Matilda thing......... Did you seriously listen to me list off my day?" He nodded.

"Apparently... I'm tired too. And you do sound quite calming when you aren't cursing and yelling at me." 

"Bullshit."

"Just take MY advice and get some rest." He was about to leave the room, when he turned back to me. "Aren't you going to come eat? Hau's cooking tonight and he can make some mean meals." I shrugged, standing up and dusting off my stained shirt.

"Let's go then."

*

The meal had been great. Astrid had made some wonderful entertainment. Hau had made a beautiful, grand exit. But now, I looked at myself in the mirror, annoyed and disappointed. I was filthy in comparison to the unmarked complexion of the room and I felt subconscious about even sitting on the beautifully clean bed, let alone lie in it and sleep later on. And just in general, I really wanted to get clean after all the running and sweating and crying. I craved my own cleanliness. Maybe the quarantines had showers?

Sighing, I left the room and looked around the living area. I scoped the other rooms along the walls, whisking past the one for Astrid and onto to Gladion's. I hesitated at the door, before opening it. The room was similar to the one I was staying in, only this one had a larger bed, a coffee table, more space and a room off to the side, the door to it open already. Gladion was sitting on the bed, a tablet in his hand and his brow furrowed in frustration... He was also shirtless.

"Hey." I said as casually as I could muster, smacking my hand over my eyes. I assume he looked up at the sound of my voice, because there was grunt of amusement, proceeded by,

"What are you doing that for, miss Sky?"

"You kinda don't have a shirt on." He chuckled and I heard the sound of him standing.

"What do you think you'd be seeing?"

"Disrespect to your future relationship with Astrid." There was a snort, followed by vague laughter.

"That's wishful thinking. Rivers is Tsundere. Even if she did feel for me, she would never admit to it." Another vague chuckle. "What is it?"

"This place got a shower anywhere?" I hadn't realised how close he had gotten to me, so it was a surprise when he took my hand from my face and pointed at the open door.

"There would be one." I nodded sheepishly, closing my eyes to the fact that he still wasn't wearing a shirt and taking my hand back. I mustered a smile.

"I know I sound like a tool, but can I use it?" 

"Just lock the door." He said, sounding a bit too amused. 

"Could I use it now, if that's okay with you?" There was moment of silence.

"I nodded." I smiled more genuinely turned around, opened my eyes and left the room with haste. Right before I closed the door I yelled behind me,

"And put a shirt on!" I quickly crossed the room back to mine, slamming the door shut behind me. I fell back against the door, groaning and pressing my cool hands against my burning face. Why, crush? Why? That couldn't be there. I couldn't have a crush. Not when Astrid had one on the same person. The last thing I wanted was to be 'that girl'.

I shook my head vigorously, stood back up straight and told myself to stop. Ignoring the burning in my cheeks, I walked over to the bed, grabbed my suitcase from beneath it and opened it, grabbing my Hogwarts shirt, short shorts and other basic needs. I took a deep breath, walking back out of the room with everything I needed. I reentered Gladion's room, risking a glance around the room. He wasn't anywhere to be seen, so I walked over to the bathroom, where the light was on. That's where I found him, shoving some bottles into the medicine cabinet under the sink. He stood back up from his crouch.

I made a risqué glance at his reflection in the mirror, my face blazing dark pink. Waxed chest (or just bare to begin with), the beginning development of a six pack and... Scars. There was one or two along his arms, but not like you would traditionally expect to be and one long scar that dragged down the length of his chest to his hip. I didn't dare question what they might be from - self harm or an attack alike - and turned my attention back to his abs. I grinned, getting an idea... Then I snapped out of it. I clamped my hand over my eyes again. "PUT A F**KING SHIRT ON!" I didn't need to see to know that he then proceeded to fall back in surprise, knocking into the shower door on the way down. After the ruckus died down, there was a loud, measured and frustrated sigh.

"Can you not, Hazel?" He huffed. I giggled. "Oh, what now?"

"Your reaction. I've got you twice in one day." I said, smiling broadly and shifting my hand away from my eyes. He sighed as he stood back up, flicking his new braid over his shoulder. We stood there awkwardly avoiding eye contact and blushing for a minute or so.

"I'll grab you a towel." He finally said, breezing past me through the door and out. I stood for a moment or two, concocting a plan to embarrass Astrid, before setting my clothes on the vanity counter. To the left was the toilet, a crystal white bathtub, a bin and to the right, the shower. I sighed, pulling my shirt over my head and tossing it over the tub like I would have at home. Deciding not to undress further than that until his return, I opened the medicine cabinet. You know. Cause I'm a freaking weirdo. 

I found as much as I expected; sleeping pills, headache pills, ibuprofen, Aloe Vera gel, some old bandages, two rolls of toothpaste (one used shrivelled with use and the other brand new), hair gel and a lot of hair bands (I might have stolen one). I wasn't expecting the batteries, however. Unfortunately, right at this moment, I was caught.

"Sky..." I whipped around and slammed the doors shut, immediately standing up.

"I wasn't looking through your shit." I said, making it even more obvious of the truth. He chuckled and gave me a heart melting smile which almost made my knees weak. But I fought against my crushing urges and reminded myself to back the hell up. For Astrid's sake. 

"As long as you didn't find certain things, we won't speak of this ever happening." He handed me the towel. It was grey and trimmed with gold thread and was extremely soft. I didn't bother asking what he was talking about with 'certain things'. I could make the inference for myself. "Well, guess I'll leave you to it. I've still got to go over the test results and there's no time to waste." Despite his words, there wasn't any urgency in them. It seemed like just another empty statement. I nodded, picking at my ring fingernail absentmindedly. He left the room, closing the door behind him. 

I flipped the lock on the doorknob, immediately whipping my bra off. Freedom at last.

*

Waking up the next morning was odd. Enveloped in a fluffy bed, feeling dehydrated and much cleaner than I would normally go to sleep. I remembered using an almost crystal perfect shower. That had been interesting. I also remembered seeing Gladion shirtless. Also quite interesting. Another thing was running into Astrid's room, screaming 'GLADION HAS ABS' at the top of my lungs and startling her to the point she almost launched her laptop at me, leaving her without any explanation and locking my own door so she couldn't come in and ask any questions. 

I remembered a conversation about missing someone, with someone I missed and who missed me.

When I went to the kitchen, Astrid was sitting at the table and crunching on some cereal, glaring at some blog posts on her phone. A tired Gladion was sitting on one of the prep counters (in his normal clothing, might I add), nose buried in his tablet. From the rings around his eyes that weren't just his eyeliner smudging, I could tell he hadn't slept. I told him to stop decrypting the information and to, once again, take a break, but he merely glared at me when I said anything.

Apparently he isn't one to take his own advice.


	5. It gets worse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The title says it all
> 
> It gets worse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New OT3: Hazel and those two girl grunts
> 
> Also, I did this from memory for the most part, so if I got some of the small details wrong, don't kill me.
> 
> I think I do fine with these things

After a night of wandering about Aether Paradise, stealing PokeBeans off of strangers, playing fetch with captive Pokemon and waiting for Gladion to provide me with some answers, sunrise was upon us and I was trying to get some rest for whatever the next night would bring. I had been having a pleasant dream for a while, when I was rudely interrupted.

"Psst. Sky... Hazel..." After that didn't work, I was poked in the face three times (at least that's all I counted). I stirred, batting a hand away and groaning, hugging Grillby a little tighter. "Ah, good. You're awake. Hazel, I've just undergone an absolute breakthrough." They sounded very excited, yet tired. I hadn't yet bothered to open my eyes.

"Breakthrough?" I asked, yawning and sitting up.

"Yes! I've finally found an answer to my hypothesis!" They whisper shouted. "Come on! Get up! We have so much to discuss!" I managed to get my eyes to focus on the world around me as much as they were willing to without my glasses, only to see that it was Gladion who was talking to me and he was oddly perched on the side of the bed. I had thought I recognised his voice. Grillby whined at me, licking my chin affectionately and tiredly. He seemed more distressed than usual. I gave him one last pet, setting the sheets aside. I was about to stand, when I came to my senses.

It wasn't like I slept wearing pants. Ultimate comfort, but not good for situations like this.

I grabbed my glasses and Ultra Ball from the bedside, putting my glasses on and clicking the ball, putting Grillby away. The I would have to Kobe style try and grab my suitcase, grab my pants and then put them on WITHOUT getting out of the bed.

Too long, didn't read: I did it somehow. I was not going to get up to get my things and flash off my disgusting thighs with all the stretch marks and the reminder of a night I wanted desperately to forget.

"Alright, let's go." I said, finally standing up, pants on.

"Nice shirt. Also, you look awful." Well at least he liked my 'move I'm gay' shirt.

"I just woke up." He clearly wasn't being reasonable.

"We have to go in public to get to the laboratories."

"Since when was how I look a concern of yours?" He looked away and I could tell he was blushing, even despite the darkness of the room. "Ugh, fine." I ripped my hair from the band, let it flow freely, then ran my fingers through it to rid the most of the knots before I threw back into a ponytail again. Adjusting my shorts to sit lower, I shifted my shirt to look somewhat okay. "Okay, let's go." I finished, stifling a yawn.

Gladion led me down the flight of stairs and we were in the main room. We left out the front door, crossing the long pathway that led from the mansion. He wasted no time getting onto the topic.

"Sky, do you know the story of our creation and the beginning of our timeline?"

"Vaguely, yes." I said as I rubbed my eyes.

"So you know that Arcues created Dialga, Palkia and Giratina to be the gods and creators of time, space and matter respectively?"

"I thought Giratina ruled antimatter?" We crossed into the entrance area.

"You are wrong. You see, they all did their jobs. Dialga created time; seconds, minutes, hours. Palkia created space; the planets, the stars, the asteroids. Giratina created races; species that would live on the most habitable planets, making them adaptable and well moulded to where they lived. Humans were the best thing it made." I nodded. "Then the three created a creature so advanced... Mew. Mew was the first Pokemon and it created many of the Pokemon we now call fossils. Flygon, Aerodactyl, Omanyte - you know the list."

"How does this relate to Niekramant?" We reached the elevator.

"Give me a second here..." I'm not sure what he meant by that, because he paused to input the code for the laboratories. Once the platform was moving, he continued. "Dialga and Palkia wanted to live on the Earth in peace and continued to create. Ho-oh. Zekrom. Groudon. Lunala. Lyredala." He gave me some eyebrows as he said that last one. A Nuholani legendary. "After centuries, the Pokemon and humans were living together in harmony and Arcues granted Dialga and Palkia access to live on Earth as well. They had created wonders that had satisfied it. But what Giratina had created was not to the satisfaction of Arcues, and it was held behind. It decided to create more creatures. New gods for its humans to love."

"It still created?" The platform stopped and the sound of the ocean was all around. We went forward.

"It created the goddess of dawn, love, beauty, natural elements. It created the god of dusk, home, periodic elements, desire. It also created the goddess of lust, pride, envy. The god of war, gluttony, sloth. It created the goddess of life and light... But there always had to be a duality. Can you guess what else it created?"

"The god of death and shadow... Niekramant."

"It managed to make these creatures... And it's plan worked. The humans loved these creatures. They worshipped a god or goddess and would until they died. A Tribe of humans - the tribe of Lake Acuity - worshipped the god of death and shadow, after it appeared to them in the event of a solar eclipse. In the place of the eclipse, they created an alter. A shrine. They carved its image into stone and created the perfect sight to summon it again."

"The Alter of Shadows." We were now in the quarantines.

"A Psychic amongst the group foresaw many different events in the future, like the crowning of every regional champion until 2050, the Great War that destroyed humans temporarily, the war of Kanto. However, the tribe wanted only to know of their mighty God. They wanted to hear of its return to them. But they were told only that there would be no solar eclipse to summon it back for many many years. And by then, it would have been defeated. Can you guess what the psychic saw?"

"Me. She saw me didn't she?" I paused at the end of the hallway. We were at the crossroads to the two solitary testing chambers. He stopped with me.

"Yes. A girl with armour on her eyes, a dog of fire by her side and the blood of the Nuholan nation flowing through her veins. They left behind a message on the alter, written in the native Unown alphabet..." He paused, collecting his thoughts. "But then the Great War happened. Humans were destroyed and there was only a few Pokemon left at all. There was nobody to carry out the prophecy. But when Arcues took pity and brought the humans back, some went back to worshipping Niekramant, only they were called a cult and were shunned but the general public. They kept building onto the shrine until it became what we now call,"

"The Alter of Shadows." I finished his sentence for him. He smirked.

"Correct. And also, fun fact, before the keystones of the eight corresponding regions were a thing, many people faced Niekramant with sacrificial ceremonies, but each and every one failed... It proves the prophecy." There was silence. Gladion took my arm, guiding me along to the observation deck door. We started moving up the stairs in silence.

"What of Giratina?"

"Ah, yes. For the vice of creating new gods, it was banished to the distortion world, for creating a type of antimatter instead of matter. Niekramant, the most dangerous of the whole lot of creations was also banished. To Hyper Space. Another world to hold creatures captive. Like the Ultra Beasts. They were like failed Pokemon. But Niekramant hated them."

"When did Niekramant go from the god of death and shadow to the god of necromancy?" We were now standing in the observation deck. A hate filled Niekramant was still boiling in the testing chamber. Gladion went to speak but was cut off as a snake head smashed against the shield that protected the glass window. The translator lit up, displaying the same word as last time, just now in capital letters.

"Hold on." Gladion said. "We need to send this to a Cryogenic Chamber before it destroys all of Aether paradise." He tapped at something and the circular panel on the floor began to glow, it's blue glow penetrating the opaque shadows. Suddenly, those flashing red eyes dulled and the room began to grow brighter. The shadows were being drawn into the panel. "To Cryo-Pod 2-F." Gladion commanded and the shadows withdrew even faster.

Before I knew it, there was nothing in the room and Gladion was checking security feeds for the cryogenic chambers on his tablet. "Success. Niekramant is in the cryo room. We can talk in peace."

"What was that?" I asked. 

"Just a simple teleport." I gaped. Simple? "Now, where were we?"

"Uhh... God of necromancy?" 

"Ah, yes." He ran a hand over his frazzled braid. "When the term 'necromancy' was first coined, many people began to believe that Niekramant was a necromancer, a bender of black magic. Death magic." He sighed and then began to laugh. "Oh I'm missing the whole reason I brought you here." I raised an eyebrow as he laughed, rubbing his forehead. "Miss Sky. My hypothesis was right."

"WHAT?!"

"The minions exist."

"You're insane!"

"Not insane. Sleep deprived, possibly. But on the track to survival is what I'd call it."

"There are no minions!"

"Necrozma. The thing that took Plumeria. They're minions. Like I said on the elevator. They're also the people who died as a sacrifice and the fighters that died facing it."

"How do you know? You studied a god and one supposed minion!"

"What was I saying earlier? Benders of black magic?"

"You stopped yourself on that one twice, genius!"

"What I was going to say, before I so rudely interrupted myself, was that... Do you remember your battle with Niekramant?"

"For the love of Arceus- you think I just forgot somehow?!"

"What happened with Flareon?"

"I'm not answering you."

"What happened, Sky?"

"I don't know! He fainted and then he was like... Getting absorbed by the shadows on the battlefield... How is any of this important, Gladion?"

"What happened to Flareon after the battle?"

"I don't know! He was just fine! He's fine!"

"Now, you're the expert on this Hazel... When Plumeria's Crobat fainted in her battle, was it like the way Flareon was taken?" I went to speak and deny him, but caught my tongue. I couldn't say for sure, but it definitely seemed similar. Flareon had been floating on a shifting shadow wall (like myself) and Crobat had been on normal ground. But... It was too similar to deny. I nodded my answer.

"What's your point?"

"Flareon came back, didn't he?" I gagged in frustration.

"Yeah."

"Did Crobat come back?" I narrowed my eyes.

"No. We ran only like a minute afterwards."

"You're wrong. It did come back, Hazel." He switched the from the current feeds on his tablet to another app. "I recorded this only four hours ago." He handed me the tablet, which was now displaying a prerecorded video. It was of the quarantine labs, main hallway. Yes. Only four hours ago. "Watch closely." He instructed and I kept my eyes to the screen. If he was about to prank me...

A wavering shadow appeared. A Rebel Black. The same one that took Plumeria. It shifted into view and sat. Just like before. It sat and waited. Flicking its tongue. Then another shape appeared. A Crobat fluttered from the shadows along the ceiling. But... It looked very different to the Rebel Black. It was... Solid. It wasn't the same wavering mass like the Rebel Black. It was total. The Crobat fluttered up to the Rebel Black and they gave each other the same ten mile, red eyed stare they'd have given us. Then they departed, returning to their respective shadows. I passed the tablet back.

"What does that mean?"

"That's a minion. Any Pokemon killed by Niekramant or a minion _becomes _a minion."__

__"But... My Pokemon..."_ _

__"Flareon and Rebel Black. Those we have seen. Their minion versions are wavy and half formed. They came back, which managed to save their skin and make it that their minions are only partly... Let's say... Sentient." He gave me a look as if to say I knew what he was talking about. "But... Crobat..." He swept a revolving screen aside and typed something onto one of the keyboards._ _

__"So... Minions exist... That's fine. As long as they stop taking people... We're fine!" I really wish I could say I woke up at that moment and write the cliche line of 'it was all just a dream', but I may never get the chance to do so._ _

__"Minions are benders of black magic - death magic - , Sky. It's not just 'fine'."_ _

__"No. No. It's fine." I was beyond just denying at this point. I was living denial. "So what, it's just s couple minions!" I suddenly blurted out, unable to keep my big mouth closed._ _

__"Oh but Hazel. You are missing the point. What did the alter actually say? What was the true prophecy to Niekramant's defeat?"_ _

__"Gah, I don't know! Remind me? There was two, wasn't there?"_ _

__"Now you're on the right track! What was the first?" He was growing very excited._ _

__"About Niekramant waiting in a tomb for a challenger - a flame - to appear?"_ _

__"Yes! And the second?"_ _

__"I really don't know! You only told me, like, yesterday!"_ _

__"Two days ago, actually. 'Amongst the eclipse of ages, when all is cast in shadows, a flame will appear to conquer the daytime dream. A girl with the age of a teen, the blood of the Nuholan nation coursing through her veins and armour on her eyes will come forth with a dog of fire and together, they will defeat the God of necromancy.'" He gave a hard stare, letting me process it. "'Amongst the eclipse of ages', Hazel." He smirked. "It's not over."_ _

__"No. It has to be over! I caught it! IT'S OVER!"_ _

__"No, it's not over Hazel. An eclipse is happening next Monday... You know what that means?" I covered my ears and shook my head. "The minions will return and run rampant. They will call back their master until the eclipse is over. They will destroy. You will have to stop them." I shook my head harder. "You know you have to do it."_ _

__"HOW?" I screamed, my head suddenly swimming. I had left this all behind. There was no eclipse. There was no minions. It was OVER._ _

__"Well, I was thinking about it and a thought struck me. Prevent it from happened at all. But stopping a solar eclipse is impossible without doing some insane stunt that would doom everything on this planet. And we don't really have access to the minions right now to defeat them all before the event arises."_ _

__"What you're saying is it's a lost cause."_ _

__"Not totally lost, miss sky. We'll just have to fight a little harder when the day it comes."_ _

__"We can't prevent anything."_ _

__"No we can't. At least not in a way I know."_ _

__"Find a way."_ _

__"Nothing's ever that simple, Sky." Of course. How could I be so stupidly naive?_ _

__*_ _

__A sea wind ruffled my ponytail as I walked away from Hau'oli, my mind wandering. 'They will destroy. You have to stop them'. I hadn't been able to get back to sleep after that, my anxiety running rampant. After a few hours of sitting in silence and sweating and panicking, I had got up, gotten dressed in my favourite purple shirt and jeans and wandered about the conservation deck for a while, hoping that seeing the employees working with the Pokemon would detox the sudden bout of stress. It had for a while, but I needed an escape from the white walls and the stench of cleanliness. It was the opposite of home._ _

__So I took the ferry to Melemele and was having an afternoon wander. Most people weren't awake by now - that goes for both Alola and Nuholani with their perfectly corresponding timezones. A few people were doing the same as me, just walking about. I smiled as a young trial-goer waved at me, a Yungoose by his side. I waved back. The innocence. That child would never know about this kind of thing... Actually, I was wrong. If I couldn't help the eclipse, he would suffer with everyone else._ _

__Annoyed at my mind for snatching on that topic again, I waved one last time and kept walking, entering the tall grass with nonchalance. A few Cutiflies buzzed up from the bushes, one flying close to my face and nuzzling me. It was as if it knew I wasn't having a good time._ _

__"Wanna join my adventure, little buddy?" I asked it and it seemed to nod. I took a Quick Ball from my bag, clicking the centre button and throwing it. It hit the Cutifly and fell, clicking three times before standing still. I picked the ball up and tapped the send to box option on my phone, entering the nickname 'Harmony' and sending it off. I continued to walk, noticing a house coming up. I had seen it on my previous stay here, but I had thought nothing about it then. But now, something seemed to be lulling me to it. It was almost alluring._ _

__I walked up to the house, walking on the front veranda and peeking in the windows. It was all fairly well kept and two adults in their forties or fifties were both standing around, preparing what appeared to be a breakfast. Unable to keep my curiosity at bay, i shied from the window and knocked on the door. There was a loud and vulgar complaint about Girl Scouts, followed by a calmer voice urging the other to open the door anyway. There was stomping and then the door flung open. It was the man of the two. He glared at me, a bent golf club in his hand._ _

__"I SWEAR TO ARCUES, IF ANOTHER ONE OF YOU SCOUTS COME AROUND HERE, YOU'LL GET HIT! AND I WON'T HESITATE TO STOP!!" He shouted in a somewhat familiar accent, raising the club over his head. I fell backwards, nearly tripping back down the stairs from shock._ _

__"I'm not a Girl Scout, I swear! I just didn't want to interrupt!" I said defensively, backing down the stairs. The trip ended up coming, and I stumbled right off the last step, landing painfully on my backside._ _

__"YOU SHITHEAD LIAR!! YOU'RE HIDING IT IN THAT BAG OF YOURS, I KNOW IT!" The woman appeared beside him after a second, apologising._ _

__"I'm so very sorry, young lady, for my husbands behaviour! He's just very passionate. I'm so very sorry." She rushed down the stairs, grabbing the club on her way. She threw it into the bushes and offered her hand to me. "Oh dear, you look so shaken. I'm sure you didn't mean any harm." I accepted the help to my feet, brushing down my jeans of the sticky dirt from the ground. "What's your name, love?" She asked after offering to let me inside._ _

__"It's Hazel and it's all fine. I'll be off-"_ _

__"Hazel? As in... Hazel Sky?" I froze mid glasses adjust._ _

__"Umm... Yes?" My reply was hesitant._ _

__"Oh here we go." The man from the door piped up, rolling his eyes in distaste._ _

__"Oh, be quiet Harold!" She turned back to me, her eyes glittering. "Oh, Guzma was talking you up when he visited us! You're one of his few friends!" I blushed._ _

__"Wait, are you and him related? Forgive my ignorance if so." I gave the slightest bow at my words._ _

__"Well, I would only happen to be his mother." She said proudly, walking to the stairs. "Come, love." She murmured as I followed. "Our boy said you were who he was looking for with the big mission assigned to him by Aether. You're from Nuholani?" I nodded._ _

__"Yes, to both of that." She went back into the kitchen and I pulled out a stool, sitting on the opposite side of the bench._ _

__"Oh, what's it like over there? He didn't have much to say about it - only about you."_ _

__"Well, it's really hot compared to over here. I don't regret wearing the jeans right now." She chuckled. "And there's a little more transport over there." I racked my mind. What was I supposed to say? I had known Nuhola all my life. I didn't know what made it special. "Oh." I snapped my fingers. "Ever heard of the Sydney Opera House? Biggest gym in Nuhola." She smiled._ _

__"Yes. I've heard it's grand."_ _

__"So... What was Guzma saying about me when he visited?"_ _

__"Well, not much really. It was just a visit. He said he'd found you - the one for the mission. But he did call recently and he said that he likes you quite a bit." My face was blooming redder than the poppy patch in Flanders Field. "Said you were very awkward and a bit of a mess when it comes to schooling."_ _

__"He ain't lying." I muttered._ _

__"He also thinks you're adorable."_ _

__"Can't imagine why."_ _

__"Oh! And he admires your training skills! For a fifteen year old girl, you've got it pretty much down pat." I looked over her shoulder and caught the wall behind her. It was covered in photos, as you would expect. I stood up, walking over to the wall and looking over the pictures. They were all of Guzma as a child. His mother was still prattling on in the background, but I didn't hear any of it. I took one picture off the wall. He was holding the island challenge charm, grinning. A Spinerak was sitting on his shoulder._ _

__"He looks so happy."_ _

__"Sorry dear?" The woman turned around, hearing my comment. She then sighed. "Oh yes. He was a joy as a kid. Had many friends. Never stopped smiling. One day it just... Faded... Poor child. I don't know what went wrong... They were saying he got into some trouble a few years back with Team Skull. I won't believe that he did it."_ _

__"He did get into some trouble. He ran Team Skull..." I gave the picture a longing stare before hanging it back up on the wall. "But he's changed."_ _

__"That boy was a troublemaker as a kid and he never changed! He's still a bad kid to this day!" 'Harold' yelled from the couch, glaring at the two of us by the wall. I sighed, glancing over the pictures._ _

__"He loves bug types, doesn't he?"_ _

__"Ah yes. He wouldn't shut up about them. He would come home with a new one everyday!" The joy was back in her voice, but it would only last a moment. Then I reached the door._ _

__"What's in here?" I heard the joy being taken._ _

__"...That's his old room... Before he ran away." I spun the knob and opened the door. It was fairly plain, a TV in the corner, a few book scattered around the room, an empty clothes rack in another corner, a coffee table covered in trophies awarded to 'Guzma Palakiko' and of course, the bed. It felt abandoned, like it hadn't been inhabited in years. Maybe decades. "We keep it clean enough in case he ever wants to come back home. But whenever he comes back, it's never for long." I brushed a hand over the bedspread. It was tusty and old, the blue faded from what must have once been dark, yet vibrant. "He hasn't slept there in countless years." She was breathless._ _

__"Why'd he leave?" I asked myself, noting that I would need to speak to him later, when the moon was a bit higher in the sky. But she heard me._ _

__"I don't know. I don't know what I did wrong. But he won't come back..." She grabbed my shoulder. "Please. You're his friend. Please find out why. He might talk to you." I hesitated._ _

__"He's not one to talk about his feelings." I admitted. "Even though we're friends, it would take a lot of prying from him to get answers."_ _

__"Please. Please find out." She looked desperate, her eyes depressed. I nodded, knowing I was getting into something worth more than I was bargaining for._ _

__"I'll try." She left the room, leaving me alone. I flopped back onto the bed, tears gathering in my eyes. Why was I getting myself into these messes? The bed smelled of something salty and metallic... I pondered not on what that may have been. I stood up quickly, almost blacking out from the rapid motion and blood back in my head. I shouldered my bag and opened the door again._ _

__"You know Hazel... I would be careful around that boy. He's a bad influence. Always looking for trouble." I said nothing. It was that stupid oaf of a man talking again. He was brandishing a golf club again, staring at the bend in it with malice in his eyes. "I tried to set him straight, many times. But I was the one who got beat in the end. Disrespectful shithead should've learned to take a disciplinary beating." I stopped walking at the sound of those final two words._ _

__"Disciplinary beating?"_ _

__"Why so astounded? He deserved it! All he ever did was spit on the family name!" I had to stop myself from outright punching him in his big nosed face._ _

__"What did he ever to do to 'deserve it'?"_ _

__"Everything! What didn't he do?!" I stayed silent, biting my tongue so much I could taste metal. "He went running off on 'the island challenge' like we didn't treat him well! He made friends with bugs instead of people! Had one human friend and he left that poor kid in the dust!" He stood up, pointing the club at me accusingly, as if it was my fault he had done any of that. "He failed at the thing he ran away for! What's wrong with this kid?! Then the damn failure ran away a second time, went and started a fire that spanned a whole town!" Po Town, I was sure of it. "And then, for the punishment of survival, he went and became a villain!" I stayed silent, sure I would bite me tongue off if he didn't shut up. "So tell me, Hazel... What didn't he do to deserve it?!"_ _

__"He came back at all." I muttered. "And he never started the fire. He was in it, along with everyone else who joined Team Skull." I wasn't sure if it was true, but he was always weary of flames. Makes one think. "They became villains to survive because nobody wanted them to live. Sure, it was rebellion, but that would take some courage to-" I was rudely cut off._ _

__"COURAGE?! GIRL, YA WOULDN'T KNOW COURAGE IF IT HIT YA RIGHT IN THE FACE!" I stood my ground. What would he know about courage? He never faced a god in battle and won before, I was certain of that. I don't need courage to hit me in the face to know what it is. "THAT KID MEANS NO GOOD, Y'ALL HEAR ME?!" That familiar accent was certainly coming through now. Definitely not Alolan. Not remotely. I couldn't find any words to match him. I reached for the door. "WHERE DO YA THINK Y'ALL'RE GOING??" I thrust the door open._ _

__"The place where I can get the truth." I replied, about to make a run for it._ _

__"WHAT TRUTH IS THERE?! AH'VE GIVEN IT TO Y'ALL ALREADY!!" I stole a glance behind me._ _

__"Ma'am, what's your name?" I asked the woman._ _

__"Elsie." She answered, looking surprised at my strange question. I gave her a grave smile._ _

__"This ones for you, Elsie." Before either could say anymore, I made a run for it. It was back to the marina for me. I was going to visit Ula'ula. I was going to see Po Town for myself. I needed to figure something out. This was my own mystery and I wouldn't rely on a sunburnt turkey to give me answers that only made everything more difficult. It was all me now._ _

__*_ _

__It was past a meadow filled with sweet smelling red Gladiolus flowers. Bug types swarmed from the flowers, and birds chirped from high in the forest surroundings. It was peaceful. A few prying trainers attempted to drag me into the tall grass to fight them, but i couldn't bring myself to oblige. I was on a mission. I made it past the meadow without much inference, going onto the route beyond._ _

__A police station sat at the base of the route, cloud cover blocking out whatever sunlight remained in the evening. Someone was standing outside the station, smoking a cigarette, a Meowth and a Persian at his feet. I pulled my bag close to my chest, anxiety beginning to cloud my thoughts. This route was empty, apart from the man outside the station. I kept walking on my route, heading to the end where I would find Po Town - and hopefully, answers._ _

__"Where ya headed?" I head someone say, starting for a moment. I turned and faced the man by the station. His eyes were glued on me. I whimpered for a moment, adjusting my glasses._ _

__"Uh... Po Town?" He pulled the cancer stick from his mouth, letting out a puff of nicotine laced smoke, casting his depressed eyes over me._ _

__"You worked with Looker and Anabel, didn't you? Sky?" Man, I was certainly getting to be famous around here. I nodded. He raised the cigarette back to his mouth. "As I thought." I awkwardly shifted my feet, looking for any excuse to be fidgeting. One of his cats prowled towards me, it's nose bobbing as it grappled with my scent._ _

__"How'd you know my name?" I asked._ _

__"You're an agent. Agents know other agents."_ _

__"Right..." I had no idea what he was talking about._ _

__"Oi! New boss!" A voice called out from somewhere and when my head turned a man with blue hair and black and white clothes was running for us. "Breach in sector nine!"_ _

__"What regions that, Chester?" The man asked through smoke. The Persian at my feet rubbed its head against my leg._ _

__"Hoenn, boss." Chester replied._ _

__"Send Felicia on that one."_ _

__"Which ones Felicia?"_ _

__"Fire Agate." Chester nodded and ran back to where he came from. "Guessing you want to get into Po Town?"_ _

__"Yes. That's what I said." He removed the cigarette one more time, letting out one last huff._ _

__"Well let's get a move on, then." He began walking to where Po Town would be. I trailed after him silently, holding the strap of my bag defensively. Halfway through the walk, thunder echoed and rain began to fall. I had no cover for it, but then again, neither did he. We reached the end of the route, where a door was etched into a stone wall. "Just go through there. Be careful, though. Some of those grunt aren't too happy to see newcomers." He spun and cast me a wave, walking back through the rain._ _

__I took a breath and a leap of faith, opening the door to Po Town._ _

__It was devoid and rain soaked. The clouds were now weeping, casting down harsh torrents onto the town. Remnants of an event long ago marked the streets and still growing bushes that lined the main pathway. A withering Pokemon centre sat by the entrance of town, dull with ash marks. Other houses were faring better, but not by much. At the end of town was a mansion. Shady House._ _

__A few grunts who had stayed faithful were sitting in the rain, crouching or standing or just existing. One of them was sitting atop a car. None of them said a word, merely eyed me off as I passed. Their suspicions set my anxiety off yet again, almost bringing me to an attack. After a short walk through it all, I reached Shady House, the mansion._ _

__I sighed and opened the door._ _

__It was full of graffiti and broken furniture - the remnants of what one must have been a nice place to live. A few grunts were sitting about, sweeping their eyes on me like security cameras. I had to mind the many shards of smashed glass that littered the ground. I decided to check the top floor first. Tops floors always seem to yield results with this kind of shit... Or basements, but there wasn't one of those unfortunately. I walked up the stairs, noting the fallen chandelier blocking the right staircase. I walked up the left one and opened the first door I saw. Two girls were fighting._ _

__"Okay, but like... I label mine A and yours B. Those are our letters." The girl on the left reasoned._ _

__"BUT I'M GRUNT A, NOT YOU!!" The girl on the right yelled._ _

__"NO, I'M A!"_ _

__"I thought you were a C." I held back a snort._ _

__"Oh my god, that cute girl heard us fighting!" The left girl yelled in surprise, pointing at me._ _

__"Augh, it happened again and it's all your fault!" The right girl retorted, punching the other in the arm. I was silently proud to be the source of such a mundane fight. And they thought I was 'cute'. "Hey, cute girl, ever thought about joining Team Skull?" Uhm, yes please. I hesitated on nodding though (idiot)._ _

__"Yeah, how's about it?" Okay I was straining on not nodding._ _

__"I'm... I'm good thanks."_ _

__"Nah! Come on!"_ _

__"We got uniforms and everything! Give us like, ten, and we'll have one for ya!" They egged on._ _

__"No, I'm really good thanks-" they cut me off as they hustled for the door._ _

__"Come back in ten, yo!" The girls were gone just like that and I was apparently ten minutes away from wearing the uniform of Team Skull. Blinking a few times to clear my head, I left the room, checking the last one. It was a room that must have once been used for gaming and entertainment, but now lay in wreckage. I left it in no time._ _

__With the other side of the staircase blocked and the top floor hall also blocked - by boxes this time - I had no other option than to face the guard at the door. I walked up to him all nonchalance and he gave me a solid glare._ _

__"Where d'ya think your goin?"_ _

__"Wherever this leads." He turned and looked over his shoulder, turning back with a grim glare._ _

__"D'ya think this is funny?" I nodded. "Just who d'ya think y'all are?!" He was getting frustrated now and it was hilarious to watch._ _

__"Countess Isa Metric. I work for the... Lazarus Corporation." I was pulling words from my arse at this point and I think I was being pretty convincing. He narrowed his eyes at me._ _

__"Isa Metric, huh?" I nodded again. He looked me up and down._ _

__Then he stepped aside. "I ain't messin' with no Lazarus Corporation." I grinned._ _

__"Thank you my fair sir." I stepped back into the rain, seeing that I was on some intentional balcony setting. There was a fairly good view of the town from here... Only it was a shamed sight. Everything looked sad and charcoal smudged. And from up here, you could see all the grunts standing in wait in the rain. If only they knew their boy wasn't coming home..._ _

__I followed the wood pathway set up along the wall and to the door on the other side. I wiped down my hair with my bag, took a deep breath and walked to the final room of the top floor. With a flourish, I pushed the door open... This room in particular already seemed like one that was important._ _

__It was halfway through organised and disorganised. A king sized bed sat askew in the corner, backed by a cabinet full of bottles and paint cans. To my right was a globe, a chest full of Z crystals and a closet. Centrally symmetric and propped up against the wall sat a throne. Before it was two small table, one holding a laptop that would be long dead of charge and the other, a bottle. The whole room had been graffitied._ _

__I approached the throne. It looked rather beat up. The arms in particular had suffered some abuse through the years. I didn't dare question it further. But I could be certain of one thing particular._ _

__This was Guzma's room alright._ _

__Curiosity killed the cat, but I couldn't help myself. Now that I was here, I wanted to know more. I pulled out my phone and tapped on one of my contacts. I tapped call and waited to buzzes, crouching by the chest of Z crystals. Buganium's I was beginning to realise._ _

__"Yes, dear?" Guzma answered._ _

__"Why do you have so many Buganium Z's?"_ _

__"What?"_ _

__"You have a f**king chest full of them right here." I picked one up and ripped open my bag, tucking it away. There was silence._ _

__"Where are y'all at right now?"_ _

__"Shady House."_ _

__"WHY?!"_ _

__"I'm getting answers." I flicked away an empty spray paint can._ _

__"ANSWERS TO WHAT?!"_ _

__"I dunno. What mad you run away. Why you don't talk to your mum anymore. I can get why you talk to your dad - he's a f**king bastard - but your poor mother... She's confused. Doesn't look like she did anything wrong." There was another moment of silence._ _

__"Ya met my parents?" I probably shouldn't had said what I did._ _

__"Uh... Yeah."_ _

__"What're their names?"_ _

__"Harold and Elsie." There was an indescribable noise from the other end of the call._ _

__"What's my last name?"_ _

__"Palakiko. Certainly didn't expect that."_ _

__"Goddamnit, ya did meet 'em." I kicked at the carpet, noting a few peculiar paint stains._ _

__"They live on route 2."_ _

__"Yep. That's them." I sat on the throne, noting how much the arms had been beat now that I was REALLY up close. Picking up the bottle, I took a whiff and gagged. Yep. Alcohol for sure. "Hazel, why're ya at Shady House?" I set the bottle down and glanced at the laptop._ _

__"Look. Elsie, your mother, is confused about why left home and why you won't come back and she wants me to find out the reason for it. I'm only calling to annoy you though."_ _

__"Ah'm not coming back cause of the beatings. Ah'm fairly sure y'all figured that out already." I blinked a few times. Well, he had been quick to admit that._ _

__"What happened to you in Po Town? After you left, I mean?" He snorted._ _

__"What's there to say?! Po Town was the place where all us criminals went. Nobody wanted to see our faces, so we didn't let 'em. We were fine; only had about one scrap a month." He paused._ _

__"And..."_ _

__"Then the big guys showed up. They acted like they owned the town. We thought we could trust 'em, but all they did was cut into what we had goin, which was peace after it all..."_ _

__"Go on.." I crossed my legs on the seat._ _

__"The leader opted me for a fight. Thought ah was some head honcho for the town or somethin'. But ah bought my dumb Pokemon to the fight instead of a knife. He slashed me multiple times. Nearly killed me." He paused. "And the town was his."_ _

__"But you weren't even the leader at the time!"_ _

__"Ah know! Bull, right?! This guy tried to run the town like he owned it! He'd beat us to death if we didn't obey!" There was another pause and I didn't speak. I knew he had more to say. "Then that f**ker took it too far."_ _

__"What'd he do?"_ _

__"Gave us a speech on how useless we were and how much we needed to be wiped from the face of humanity and tried to burn down the town." I gasped. That's why there was so many scorch marks. It really had been a fire. And Guzma really hadn't started it._ _

__"You started Team Skull after that didn't you?"_ _

__"Yeah..." There was silence and I felt guilty for ever asking anything._ _

__"Hey Guzma?"_ _

__"Oh what now?"_ _

__"You ever kill anyone in those fights?" Then he laughed at me. He actually laughed._ _

__"How d'ya think ah got to be leader of Team Skull?"_ _

__"Who'd you kill?" I shouldn't have been as excited as I was. I was friends with a murderer (still am)._ _

__"Bastard who set us on fire. Got what he deserved."_ _

__"Damn. Right, he did."_ _

__"And uh... Don't tell anyone ah did that. Police'd have my head for it if they knew."_ _

__"Hey. It was for a good reason." It wasn't and I knew it, but I wasn't going to give him away. "Your secrets safe with me." I could almost feel him smile._ _

__"Thanks."_ _

__"How's Nuhola treating you?"_ _

__"Haven't left the grounds yet."_ _

__"Good idea. Otherwise you'd be swarmed by mosquitos and those buggers don't hesitate to bite."_ _

__"Ah'd imagine. Nuhola's a cruel place."_ _

__"Do you miss me?" I begged to ask. My tone was played in a way he would know I was only joking._ _

__"Wha'd'ya think, Hazel?"_ _

__"You miss me."_ _

__"Ah miss ya."_ _

__"It's only a little bit longer. Besides... I miss you too."_ _

__"Guess ah'll see ya Sunday?"_ _

__"I'll see you Sunday." The line cut out. We had been talking for eight minutes. I realised the girls would be expecting me with a uniform by this point. I ran from the room without another thought, sprinting though the many doorways that would lead me back to the place I had first met them. Only... They weren't back yet. I let out a few huffs. I hadn't been in the rain log enough to have gotten too wet. But I had nearly slipped and fallen. Not that I would have complained to have broken a leg and got a cool cast to show off at school... Shit that would be cool..._ _

__Right as I had those thoughts, the door opened behind me and I was pulled back by my shoulder._ _

__"Alright, cute girl! Get changed in there!" A pile of clothing was dumped into my unsuspecting hands and I was thrust into a room I didn't remember checking out before. Had I missed a door? Shit, this could've been important! The room was far tidier than any other in the house. No spray paint and well kept. There was cabinet full of makeup products, a diary open to a date back in 2012, a laptop dead of charge and the bed had a few old plush Pokemon toys._ _

__I closed the diary to keep my curious eyes away, only to notice the signature on the pages. Plumeria... This was Plumeria's room... Plumeria was gone..._ _

__Dampness fell onto my right cheek and I swiped a stray tear away. I looked at the clothes and contemplated, before taking off what I was already wearing. No point in fighting them on this. I put on the tank top and shorts, replaced my socks and shoes, took out my hair to fit the cap, tied the bandana around my neck, hung the chain with the symbol beneath it and fit the cuffs around my thigh and wrist. I looked at myself in the reflection of my phone and realised that holy shit I am hot in this outfit._ _

__I pushed the door open with confidence I don't think I've had before or after it. The girls outside both gasped._ _

__"CUTE JUST GOT HOT!" One of them fanned herself with her hand as she yelled it._ _

__"YOU FIT IT PERFECTLY! YOU'RE MORE TEAM SKULL THAN WE ARE!" The second shouted. I think they might have been overreacting a little, but holy shit the compliments were all I needed._ _

__"Ya think?" I asked, trying to be far more narcissistic than the intrusive voices in my head let me._ _

__"Yes! I'm calling you Grunt H!" H, huh? Could stand for Hazel, or for an Omega status amongst female grunts. I strutted up to them, opened my phone camera, switched to selfie mode and held it up._ _

__"Join me. This ones going to our boy."_ _

__We then spent the next twenty minutes taking as many photos as our millennial girl selves would allow us. And that was a lot. And I mean a lot. I even stuck to my promise and sent one of my photos to Guzma. Waiting for his reaction was going to be worth it._ _

__"Ya know... Even if ya don't join Team Skull, keep the clothes."_ _

__"Makes the cute girl even cuter." I thanked them for the clothes and payed them a sum for it, though they both tried to tell me to keep my money. After we argued over it for a while, I ended up paying them and getting changed back into my normal clothes, tucking my new Team Skull uniform into my bag, alongside the Buganium Z I stole from Guzma's hoard chest. I waved them goodbye as I went down the stairs, left Shady House and ran through the rain out of Po Town._ _

__I had got back to the meadow where the foliage was too thick to let any rain through when a text buzzed my pocket. I assumed the text was from Guzma, but when I checked, it was from Vampire Turkey. Gladion. I tapped on the notification and opened messages. There was one text that said this:_ _

__'GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW! SOMETHING IS VERY WRONG'_ _

__*_ _

__I heeded Gladion's word with speed, getting to the marina as quick as I could and docking my ticket back to Aether Paradise. The entire trip back, I was a bubbling mess. What was going on? Why wouldn't he respond to my questions? When I arrived at Aether Paradise, it was total chaos. Wicke was frantically messing with the elevator platform. A few of the storage management employees were urging some equally angry and confused tourists. I ran from the dock over to the platform._ _

__"Wicke! What's going on?" She spun at the sound of my voice, giving me a petrified look. Her hair was frazzled and she was trembling, her eyes pinpoints._ _

__"We're going on lockdown! I'll make one exception for you to get down to the lab floor, but it's dire! Oh, it's just terrible Hazel!" She was breathing fast and unevenly._ _

__"What! A lockdown?! What happened?!" I asked, anxiety and fear growing in me like a virus. I was petrified of what she might say in reply. And when she said it, my heart stopped beating._ _

__"It's Niekramant! Master Gladion went into the labs a little while ago to gather some more data and it was gone! It escaped the Cryo-Chamber! It's gone! Niekramant is gone!"_ _


	6. The new plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After making such a discovery, measures need to be taken. But after Niekramant doesn't return in an angry ball of shadows, we need a plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I missed a few things in the editing so I'll fix em later if I can. Anyway NEW CHAPTER YAAAAAAY
> 
> Also, be prepared for feels

"HOW'D IT ESCAPE?!" I yelled, running through the open doorway of the cryogenic freezing room. Gladion was pacing frantically before the only shattered chamber, his feet sloshing around in some sort of gelatinous liquid. The freezing liquid I presumed. I stopped my run, weary of slipping and falling in it like the retard I am would do. He looked up at me, giving me a tired but panicked stare. He ran an anxious hand through his fringe, pulling it off his forehead.

"We still don't know! We've reviewed all security footage and, of course, it blots out right before you hear glass shattering! When the static fades, it's just what it looks like now! It's impossible! We even reviewed it's statistics during all hours, but even that cuts off before the time it escaped!" He beckoned me forward, walking up to the broken chamber and running a finger along the still standing glass. A cut opened in the finger, making me cringe as I approached, dragging my feet as much as possible to avoid slipping. "This was set to maximum secure coating. We used the only double layer glass chamber in this whole place. And yet, here we are, with it nowhere where it should be." He rubbed the cut with his thumb, spreading his blood over his finger even more. Then he gave his finger a very peculiar look. He performed the action one of two more times before I got to his side. 

Without taking a moment's thought, he grabbed my hand, yanked my arm out of its folded state and ran the finger over my forearm. Disgusted, I broke away as quickly as I could, doing exactly what I had been trying to avoid on my way over - I fell arse first into the gel. "Look at your arm, Sky." He urged as I glared up at him, aching from the fall already. Reluctantly, I raised my arm and looked at it. But it wasn't what I was expecting.

I thought I was going to see a streak of red blood smeared across my skin, but saw instead a gory ombré of red and black mingling where the streak was made. That couldn't be right... Blood isn't black. Gladion offered me his hand to help me stand back up (now aware of how much of a clusterf**k I am), apologising. "Sorry. That wasn't supposed to be as creepy as it ended up." I grabbed his hand with a haughty sneer, but instead of accept his help of helping me back up to my feet, yanked downwards and sent him to the ground with me. 

It backfired when he landed on top of me.

The first thing he said to me after that - with a smirk, no less - was, "I thought Astrid was the one with the fancy here. If you're really interested, you can just tell me." I promptly kneed him in the crotch and performed one of the manoeuvres I had learned during my years of self defence classes. I shifted my hips to the right, wrapped my left leg around his, grabbed his right wrist and pressed my shoulder into his. Then I applied force in the way I had practiced only a few years before, thrusting my shoulder into his, holding his arm away and rolling my hips, taking all of two seconds to flip us over.

"Say something like that again, and it'll be a foot next time." I sat back, getting off him and making it as least amount awkward as possible. He sat up as well, giddily chuckling. 

"I see who'd top in this relationship." He playfully remarked, receiving a hard punch to the arm.

"Ew." It was said in a way that made me sound more aggressive than disgusted. "I'm not f**king interested." He chuckled again, this time sounding tired.

"Show me your arm." I set my arm forward with a humph, letting him take it and inspect the streak of blood he had left on it. "Incredible." He murmured, comparing the streak to the still bleeding wound on his finger. Even there, the strange black seemed to mingle with his blood. "Do you have anything sharp on you right now?" 

"Why?"

"I just need something sharp that isn't more of this glass." I gave a slight nod.

"I've got a switch pocket knife in my bag. Mum doesn't think Pokemon or six years of martial arts training is going to save me from 'the horrors of the real world', so she makes me take it everywhere..." I explained as I rifled through my bag. When I found it, I flicked it open and handed it to him. He immediately raked it across another finger of that hand, not even flinching as he sliced his own skin. I wondered how could have such an undeterred reaction to self harm...

"Give me your other arm." I held out the arm he hadn't already marked. He ran that finger up my arm, leaving a different streak of blood. To my surprise, this one had no such black blood. It was what I had expected the first time.

"That really is curious, you know that Sky?" I nodded.

"Everything with you is." Then something caught my eye. The other cryogenic pods. They did have other Pokemon in here. "What are those?" I asked, allowing him to inspect my arms with utmost attention. He looked in the direction I was and was quick to answer.

"Most of those are from my mother. She had some... Strange... Obsessions..."

"Obsessions?"

"Didn't they teach you this in your classes? You seemed to know a lot upon arrival, dealing with Team Skull especially."

"They don't teach us everything in Nuholani. The only reason I knew about Team Skull was because of a research project for third term. We had to find some aspect of Alola and its history, expand on it with research and sources and... Boring stuff, okay. Other students based their projects on Aether, but none of them knew about something like this." I squinted. "And I'm thinking that's because this is something someone would rather hide than leak to the public for even Nuholan high school students to find... Besides, now that I've seen Team Skull for real, I'm noticing half of the facts in my report were totally wrong."

"Yes. I guess you're right. This room isn't really something I like to share." He sighed and walked over to one of them, his feet making a strange sloshing sound as he walked from the gel. It was a strange creature with an ancient bronze mask. At least that's what I assumed it was from the outside of the tank. "Mother wanted to hoard her 'precious' Pokemon, such as these. This ones the last remaining Type: Null experiment left in cryogenic sleep. I saved one myself - oh, about six years ago - after I discovered mother took it from its sleep and was... Uh... Doing some things..."

"Type: Null?" I asked, trailing after him.

"An experiment to create a Pokemon that could use all types, using specified type disks. Except, shortly after... My father... Disappeared and we presumed him to be dead, they... Started to fail. The skeletons were made and we started working them with the types, but they became too aggressive. They even killed one of our scientists. The mask on it was the only thing that could contain its anger. They were once known as the Type: Full experiments, but after they failed and were put to sleep forever, they were dubbed the Type: Null experiments."

There was nothing else to be said.

We stopped before that pod and Gladion cast eyes dull with sadness over the creature within it. I cleared my throat, wanting to be on another subject. This was dramatic and all and even I had gotten myself wrapped up, but there was more to attend to.

"What are we gonna do about Niekramant?" Gladion looked over at me and sighed.

"We keep looking." He turned back to the pod and put his hand to the glass. "Better luck next time, Snowflake." The moment was broken by a loud voice.

'ATTENTION EVERYONE. AETHER PARADISE IS BEING PUT ON LOCKDOWN DUE TO A DANGEROUS POKEMON ESCAPE. DO NOT PANIC. STAY WHERE YOU ARE. STAY ALERT. LOCKDOWN BEGINNING IN 30 SECONDS.'

"WHAT?! I NEED TO GET MY FINDINGS FIRST!" Gladion yelled in reply, running off before I could even process what had come over the loudspeaker. Man, that guy can run fast when he wants to, because I was left standing alone in the huge cryo room. When my mind registered what was going on, I realised I had wasted precious seconds. I had to follow him.

I sprinted after him, my feet extraordinarily loud in the empty corridors. An alert came. 10 seconds. I have never ran faster than I did then. I knew Gladion was going to the observation deck. It seemed his favourite place nowadays. I still had a distance to go. 10 seconds wasn't long enough. The deadlocks on doors were already beginning to seal. I rounded the corner, fleeting past the testing chamber which had held Niekramant only hours ago. 5 seconds. 

Stamina drained from the outright sprinting, I stumbled and felt my knee come out of place. I let out a scream and fell, feeling my kneecap relocate in no time as I crashed to the ground. My wrist ached from the harsh impact, but I was more concerned about my knee. It has just dislocated. Again. It tended to do that.

But I was in more pain that I can describe and was rendered immobile. The door closed just metres away from me and I was stuck in the hallway. The testing chamber sealed shut behind me and I knew every lab would be deadlocked by now. I was alone and in pain, vulnerable to that thing.

And it wasn't just the Rebel Black. There was Plumeria's Crobat now too. There was literally any minion now. No. There was even Niekramant itself now. I was in a very dangerous place. From experience, I knew I would spend a good ten minutes crying my eyes out from pain. Then my leg would go rigid and it would be a challenge to bend my knee. It would swell. I would need a week for it to stop hurting every time I moved it. I didn't have a week. I had something of six days until Monday - eclipse day - and there was most likely going to be shit in between then and now.

And now I was crying and injured right next to safety, in the most dangerous part of Aether Paradise. 

I gave up and lay still on the ground, hyperventilating in pain and tears absolutely streaming down my face. I wasn't sure if Gladion could hear me in that observation deck. I hoped he could. To distract myself from the pain and sense of impending doom and the feeling of constantly being watched, I grabbed my phone from my bag and texted Astrid to make sure she was alright.

She was just fine. Apparently still in the mansion.

After I finally stopped crying, I shuttled over to the corner, where I had full view of the hallways around me. My leg was left limp in front of me - I wasn't brave enough to test the friendship and make it move into any other position. I waited. I simply waited. I couldn't do much else. I didn't feel like texting or calling anyone. Red alert and waiting for the lockdown to end.

I must've been there for hours on end. It felt like days. I checked the time regularly and came up at checking every two minutes. My phones battery died at some point at about 2 hours in. I jumped at every single noise, presuming it to be a minion crawling from the shadows to take me or Niekramant itself ready to rip me to shreds for attempting to defy it. 

Eventually, the most beautiful sound came as I heard locks clicking to open.

'Thank you for you cooperation. Aether Paradise has returned to normal routines.' The loudspeaker said much more calmly than last time. The door of the observation deck opened not a second later and Gladion stumbled out in a lanky and disoriented manner, as if he had just been forced from sleep and had to walk. He immediately went looking for something, his piercing green eyes landing on me. "You're alright." He muttered. I shook my head and pulled my alright knee to my chest.

"I dislocated and relocated my knee, if that counts as okay." He tilted his head to the side and his expression grew something estranged. 

"But... Can you walk?"

"Not without being in massive pain." Without another word, he offered to help me stand back up again, but when I did so, he just helped me to walk. I was limping wildly, and grunting from pain every step, but he insisted we just keep walking. He guided me to the quarantines and opened the first lab we found. Lab 3-H, if I remember correctly. It was an interesting little place, similar to the secret labs in a twisted kind of way. As in this one had all sorts of equipment and a stable table with splattered blood. 

Gladion sat me there and ensured me not to worry. 

He rifled through various cabinets and drawers and equipment storages until he found what he was looking for. It was a stash of well kept, somehow fresh berries. He grabbed one that was plump and an ocean blue colour. He handed it me.

"Oran Berry. I know we use it for Pokemon, but it can do leagues to a person as well. That should negate any swelling for your knee and reduce the pain." After I merely stared at him with disbelief and didn't eat the berry, his brow turned. "What? Lillie got herself into trouble when we were kids. She got hurt a lot. Since mother wouldn't do anything actually helpful for us, I had to figure out how to help her. I soon learned Oran berries come in plenty handy." I noticed the way his face changed when he said Lillie's name. I took a bite of the berry. Despite being a berry, it didn't have much juice and was overall pretty dry. It was also much more bitter than I thought it would be.

"Do you miss Lillie?" I asked, just before I finished. He turned to me from the beakers he had been inspecting with raised eyebrows and his mouth set in a hard line.

"Of course I miss her. It's been at least a year since we last met in person. And now she's gone to that... That thing..." I noticed a change in his face. His nose went red and so did his eyes. He quickly covered his face with a hand and tugged at his coat. "I want her back." He confessed, not looking me in the eye. "Just finish up so I can go back to planning. I've got to finish speaking to Topaz and Alfred."

I finished up quickly and he helped me back to the elevator and to the mansion. He quickly ran off in some other adventure, leaving me to finally spend some quality time with my boo. That didn't happen a lot. You know, sometimes you just want to braid Matilda's hair and watch Doctor Who and talk about training tactics and have dumb trading card battles and write bad fanfictions with you best friend and unlawfully married wife, but life has these big shadow things and eclipses and it just gets in your freaking way.

I spent wonderful hours with Astrid. That's all I can really say.

*

"You summoned me?" I stated as I walked up the stairs to the living area of the mansion. My knee was apparently make a good recovery. It was swollen a little bit, but it barely even hurt to walk on. I was brashly thankful for what Gladion had done. Speak of the devil, he was seated on one of the lounges, his back turned to Astrid and my rooms.

"Yes. The pentagram on the floor is evidence of that." I think my eyes went as big as saucers as I immediately began looking around in excitement.

"What?! What pentagram?! Where?! Lemme see!"

"Calm down. I was only joking."

"You were implying that I'm a demon. Incorrect, unfortunately. Did sell my soul though."

"Sky, we aren't here to discuss Satan. This is mission business."

"Yeah, yeah. I got it. We never talk about anything else." I sat down beside him.

"We can talk about something else when the mission is over."

"If we both survive." 

He sighed very deeply.

"Yes. It's best not to think we'll fail." He flicked a few apps away on his tablet and switched to some security thing.

"Anything new in tracking our shadow buddy?"

"No and don't ever call it that ever again."

"Bitch, if I ever see it again I'm gonna call it that. Or, I could just call it Nike. Like the shoe brand."

"Dear Arceus no; that's ten times worse!"

"So why do you want to talk if there's been no luck in tracking it?" He sighed, sounding relieved.

"Well, we can't keep looking for it. Not for all the time coming up to the eclipse. I've been talking to Azotic Topaz and some colleagues of mine and we're thinking of a plan." I didn't ask about who Azotic Topaz was. Seemed quite a few people liked going by gemstone names nowadays - remember Candy (Carnelian) from Gillerwind?

"What are you doing right now?"

"Still reviewing our data. I'm trying to find any sort of plausible answer to all of this. Niekramant was cryogenically frozen. It couldn't have woken up and smashed itself out. Even its stats suggest it was perfectly still until it gets cut out." Just as I suspected. And in quote with my thoughts.

"Maybe it was one of the minions?" If we were thinking alike, I knew he would say,

"That's what I thought too, but with all the power outages and perfectly timed fades, we can't draw any evidence to support the theory."

"Did you alert all staff that it was in the chamber?"

"It's automatic. They would have found out."

"Are any of them from Sinnoh?" Then he paused, his face going tense.

"What do you mean?"

"Are any of your employees from different regions? Specifically Sinnoh?" He glanced away.

"We have employees from every region here at Aether Paradise. Not many people have access to the basement levels and even less to the lab level." Then he tapped out of some security feeds on his tablet, opening something else much more strange and complex.

"What's that?"

"Records of every visitor, who they were and what they did and everybody with any clearance to the basement levels. You're on that list." He scrolled through a long list of visitors all with labeled names and what they did while visiting. He clicked away from it and opened something filed under 'confidential'. Under it were multiple labels. One of them read 'lab access'. He opened it.

A list popped up. "Sky, why do you want to know this?"

"I know what I'm searching for. Is the employee from Sinnoh on that list?" I peered at who had access.

General access  
Gladion Aether - Foundation President and Scientist  
Wicke Lockhart - President's Assistant 

Heads of Sciences  
Lillie Aether - Head Of Quarantine and Disease Research (usage rare)  
Philip Gloss - Head of Engineering and Bio Wares  
Tori Lab - Head of Chemicals and Experiments  
Alfred Paigen - Head of Field and Investigation  
John Smith - Leading Draft Doctor (usage rare)

Scientists  
Steven Bacht  
Bucky Flexington  
Edith Jannel  
Conner Lafayette  
Kayden Liverson  
Jennifer Mostyn  
Christine Stanton  
Jimothy Vienna

Exceptions  
Ciaran Luna - Champion (outdated)  
Lance Parker - Hoenn Scientist  
Hazel Sky - Mission: Necromancer Leader  
Amy Texica - Elladan Scientist

"No. Sky, what were you getting onto?" 

"Tribe Acuity was in Sinnoh. Where the Alter is. Who's to say that maybe there aren't still cult worshippers who would do anything to see their mighty God?" He looked away.

"That is a good point to make." He flicked a few tabs and went to a different list. "But no. Aaron, our Sinnoh employee, works in conservation. And he comes from..." His face fell. SnowPoint City..." 

"Isn't Aaron the one who tried to help Matilda out of the-"

"Yes, that was him... It does remain valid, actually. Who knows if he has ancestors from Tribe Acuity. I'll have to... Check in on that." He started flicking away at things on his tablet. "While I do that, I'll say what I was going to originally. A plan. We're coming up with a plan."

"Right. A plan... What's it entail?"

"Well, you of course."

"When doesn't it? I'm used to it at this point."

"You're really not going to like it."

"Inevitable."

"Aaaaaand..." He tapped in a code and a search started on his tablet. "That'll tick over..." He shoved the portable touchscreen away, sighing and turning to me. "I'm not joking when I say that Sky."

"But you are stalling when you say that, Aether." I may have said his last name on purpose. He only glared at me and drummed his bandaged fingertips against the table. Wow. Man. Impatient much. Maybe you should get on with the point and I'll stop making snarky remarks at you, Gladion.

"We had to make this plan based on a lot of inferencing, which is why I... Why I am sure you won't like it." I made the 'sup' nod at him as a way of acknowledging this fact. He proceeded to give me a disturbed stare.

"Keep stalling and I'll do finger guns and winking next." He grimaced.

"Mother of Arceus, no!"

"THEN TELL ME THE PLAN!!"

"FINE!" There was a small pause, mostly for Gladion to regain his composure after even thinking about such a horrid thing. He took a deep breath. "We've figured out that the people being taken by minions are being shoved into Hyper Space - Niekramant's sector. We also think that Niekramant most likely returned to Hyper Space after it escaped, as we've found absolutely no sign of it still being in Alola and we doubt it would go unsighted on the open ocean going to other regions - not with all the military forces from Unova being everywhere, including the water." He realised he had gone a little off topic on that last part. "We think it's gone back. But that also means that it will most definitely appear at the alter on eclipse day. We have a plan preceding the eclipse that we need you to be part of, as well as for eclipse day." He scratched his temple and avoided making eye contact with me. 

"F**king hell." I slipped out without realising. It was an automated reaction in the back of my mind. F**k is just such a good word to use to emphasise things with. I use it more often then I should or that my mother even knows about.

"I'll explain eclipse day now because it's simple enough. You, Anabel, Looker, Sia, Astrid, Guzma and I will go to the alter of shadows an hour or so before the eclipse starts, that way we can be ready. Once the eclipse starts, the alter will fill up with minions that most of us will take care of. You won't. You'll wait until Niekramant appears again and take it on. By then, the minions should be dealt with, so you won't have that trouble."

"Question. Two of them."

"Yes?"

"Is there any chance the eclipse will amplify Nike's power and make it stronger than before, making it all the more difficult to fight? And if so, how the hell am I going to be strong enough to take that shit on?" He looked away and make an inward noise in a way that signified he didn't really know. He shifted his collar uneasily.

"That's entirely possible, however we don't have the evidence to conclude that it will or will not be stronger because of the eclipses power. It does seem a right hypothesis, in theory. And if it's true... I'm not sure. You might just have to keep training your Pokemon. Maybe evolve Grillby if possible. That will bring some assets to the team for sure. You just... Have to be prepared for what it might throw at you... Also, don't call it that. Don't relate a living God to a shoe brand."

"The names are similar. It works, okay?"

"I get that it works. Just please, don't."

"You need to rethink this plan." He then raised an offended eyebrow at me.

"Excuse me?"

"I won't let you have Astrid on this mission. She is too valuable to me. I know how much this mission is going to SUCK. You guys don't. I won't have her be in that kind of danger." Gladion blinked at me a few times, before breaking into a small smirk.

"You know, that's what she would say about you. Even if she doesn't know firsthand what's going to go down, she... Well, she wouldn't want you there."

"But I have to be there, as proven already. SHE doesn't." He nodded.

"True. But then again, neither do I. Or anyone but you. But, we saw what happened the first time, and know it will be worse this time, so we want to have that reinforcement."

"Have reinforcement, just don't bring Astrid along." He paused, but then replied,

"If you say so." I gasped and cracked a smile. Finally! Undeterred by the fact that he had actually listened to me for once, I continued.

"So, that's the eclipse day plan. What's the other one?" His face fell.

"I'll cut to the chase; we need you, Sia and Anabel to go into Hyper Space and not only check for Niekramant being there, but also figure out how we can rescue the people trapped there and if possible, save them while you're there." I blinked a few times in response.

"I can tell that'll be far easier said than done." His face turned sheepish and a few beads of sweat formed on his exposed temple.

"Of course it will be. It's going to be difficult and..." He literally wouldn't look at me.

"And what?"

"You're going to have to get through Ultra Beasts to get to Niekramant's sector and I know your boy is going to have something to say about it. They're dangerous creatures."

"I kinda guessed." He still looked unnerved. "There's something else to this isn't there?" He nodded and smirked for a moment, but it faltered immediately and stayed that way. His smile hung limp, in the way someone who was being tortured would act if their hero came to save them but couldn't. It was guilty.

"Yes. There's more..." He looked away completely and grabbed his tablet. "The Hyper Space mission will be tomorrow." I felt my insides plummet into the abyss. 

"You can't be serious." I uttered in disbelief.

"Have you ever really seen me joking?"

"Yeah and... You can't be serious."

"Hazel, we've lost a lot of good people to that place. I lost my sister, you lost your friend. We all lost Plumeria. Mystic lost her girlfriend. The whole alliance is in turmoil due to that. We cannot let this wait. We need to save those people. Otherwise, that will leave the saving to eclipse day where we'll have to send Hau and the other kahunas to the alter to enter the wormhole and do tomorrow's job while we deal with the minions and you with..." He cringed. "Nike." I didn't crack a smile or even react to him using that nickname. I'm sure he just used it so I wouldn't resent him forever after this. "I know you don't want to do this, but you have to."

"Did the others say yes?" I asked with a snap. He recoiled - looked kinda hurt.

"Yes." He looked shameful to say it. "You'll be royally rewarded when you return! You'll give us answers and even bring back the people we care about so dearly and you'll be showered with praise and-" I cut him off with another snap.

"Yaint gonna do shit." He looked hurt for a moment.

"You have to do this. We're counting on you. Oh and *you all are not." I had to pause for a moment after he said that.

"Why'd you say asterisk?"

"Reasons."

"Alright." There was a momentary pause. Then Gladion narrowed his eyes.

"If 'yaint' is part of your vocabulary now, I think you might be spending a tad too much time around Guzma."

"I spend the perfect amount of time around him, thank you very much." He massaged his forehead and took a deep breath.

"Sky."

"Please stop calling me that." Then he gave me the most cynical look in the world before saying,

"Never." At that moment, Astrid left her room and sat on one of the couches across from us.

"Whaddup?" She slurred tiredly, implying she'd just emerged from a nap. Or was just talking. She does that a lot. I shook my head for literally no reason at all.

"We were just discussing mission shit. Nothing interesting."

"Anything you don't want me to hear?" She was doing that sass thing that I don't really get. Like she just wanted us to tell her.

"Not really." Gladion answered.

"I wasn't asking you, turkey." Astrid then replied with the saltiness of soy sauce. I think both Gladion and I were taken aback for a moment there.

"It's all pretty much open crap for you." I ended up saying, which pleased Astrid. I could feel Gladion fidgeting awkwardly beside me. I could almost feel him glancing away. I lightly nudged him in the arm and stood up. I walked over to my room and right as I went to open the door, Gladion made his move.

"Astrid, who's your favourite companion?" I glanced back over at them. Astrid looked a little off put.

"Uhh, Matilda, obviously." She answered, giving him some major eyebrow.

"No. I mean from Doctor Who." He said, his tone becoming concerted again. Astrid's face very quickly changed.

"Oh! Well, I've got like four top ones that I can't pick from. Donna, Bill, Amy and Rory... Oh! And River too! I love them the most!" Gladion beamed.

"Martha's my favourite. She didn't get enough time on screen."

"Sure. But I mean, did you see Bill! Canon lesbian! I love her so much!"

"Yes. She was rather relatable... What about which regeneration?" She made an inward hissing noise.

"Kinda maybe fourth or eleventh on that one... Cause they're so silly and funny! I mean, four just walks around like 'would you like a jelly baby?'"

"I like the thirteenth doctor, personally. I can put much appreciation in the first female doctor." I went to speak and make my own contribution to the conversation, only to remember this wasn't my time to speak. It was theirs.

"I know, but the uproar from all the anti-fems was just plain annoying!" I was proud. My salty blonde baes were getting along.

Finally.

After blatantly eavesdropping for a few more minutes, I opened the door and went in my room. If Doctor Who was the seed for a relationship to bloom, I would take what I could get with it. I just couldn't get over the fact that they were talking. Like normal people. They were talking. I felt like I could take a nap in peace knowing Astrid wouldn't have his throat in her hands if I didn't intervene. 

And then I remembered the rest of the deal. That nap wouldn't be so relaxing anymore.

I never did get to sleep by the way.

*

"It seems like there's no end to this kidnapping tyranny. Only yesterday, Plumeria Atrutny was reported missing. But she wasn't all. After we made our report on her, a flurry of disappearances followed. Nuholani has suffered increasing losses, losing five people in just a few hours, but more have been reported missing. Other regions haven't fared much better. Kanto and Ellada have both lost four people. Karee, Kalos and Alola were lucky to lose only one more person. It seems we're dealing with something more dire than we expected. The International Police, the Aether Foundation, the DIAMOND alliance and have teamed up to work on the case, but so far, we have heard nothing from them. We await their condolences of information and wait in hiding."

"It's true. What started with Casha Dannielle appeared to have rested, but is now back for more. Until the four teams are to come through with anything new, we have to hide from what once was everyday life. There's been a randomness to these disappearances. A girl sleeping peacefully one night might disappear with no evidence of anyone breaking in or even a ransom note, when her brother is safe and sound in the same room the next morning. They say people have gone into the tall grass and not emerged out the other side, while plenty others have. It can be anyone. Anyone at all..."

*

"I was just making sure you weren't one of them."

"Thats fair enough."

"How's Nuholani treated you these past few days?"

"Well, ah left the school at all."

"Holy shit, what happened next? You came face to face with a SNAKE?!" There was a moment of silence.

"Nah."

"Damnit."

"Hazel, cut the small talk already." Sia almost commanded behind me, causing me to send a glare over my shoulder. "Tell him you're doing this or hang up." Sia, Anabel and I were at the foot of the many stairs to the alter of the Moone, getting ready to do the mission. Mission: Hyper Space. I had put up a fight getting over here, but now that I was here...

I was minutely screwed in the head over this. I didn't want to be here at all. This was possibly the most daunting thing I had ever done.

"But ah did encounter those no good 'friends' of yours."

"Oh shit. They beat you up or something?"

"Which ones the one with the freckles?"

"Susan."

"Yeah. That one tried to fight me."

"You took my prized darling Grillby. Of course she's gonna fight you about it."

"Hazel. We have to go." It was Anabel this time.

"Hmm, yeah, that's probably why... How's Alola for ya?"

"It's been..." I glanced over my shoulder at the many flights of stairs that would lead to the Alter of the Moone, past my accomplices. "Interesting."

"Ah heard about Niekramant's escape, ya know."

"Yeah, I was there when Gladion called you."

"What're y'all doing about it?" I sighed.

"Well, we aren't sure where Niekramant is or how we can track it, but we're... Doing something."

"Something?"

"We're uhh... I told you about the minions thing, right?"

"Ah think so? It was like... Niekramant has minions and they're the reason people're getting taken?"

"Pretty much... Well, we found out that the minions live in Hyper Space."

".... And...?"

"Well... We're going in to try and take the minions out." He gasped. It was the strangest thing I've ever heard. He actually sounded half concerned. Half surprised. Like he had really been caught off guard by what I'd said. "Look, we inferenced that Niekramant is gonna show itself on the day of the eclipse because prophecy prophecy, umbras and penumbras, all that fun shadow and death related jazz, but the eclipse will also be strong enough to let the minions go as well and if we can get rid of them before the doomsday, Niekramant will be going it alone and it'll be easier to summon it back to the alter and destroy for good this time. And on top of that, we've narrowed something down. Everyone who was taken by the minions is in there and we have to save them." There was a few moments of painful silence.

"Well said." Anabel commented with a small smile, somehow impressed by what I had said.

"Are y'all STUPID?!" Guzma suddenly yelled, making my heart lurch. I hesitated. 

"No?" The way I said it reminded me of when we were first working together, when he was overly aggressive - because who wants to work with a 15 year old girl in a public Nuholan school anyway - and when I was overly conserved and afraid of him.

"Ya can't get to Hyper Space without going through the Ultra Wormhole." He was a matter of facts. Cruel, merciless, unthinkable facts. I nodded, even though I knew he couldn't see me.

"I know." I swiped some sweat from my face, my voice beginning to quiver.

"Do y'all even know what's in there?"

"No..." It wasn't just my voice that was shaking anymore. "I have to do this."

"Hazel, ya can't go in there. There's monsters y'all wouldn't believe in there. Creatures that move faster than your worst nightmares. Creatures that latch onto ya and poison ya, corrupting your mind in ways that can't heal. Creatures that can kill ya with nothing more than an exhale of their sulphur breath. Ah don't care how much ya need to save those people..." He paused, letting out a strangled sigh. "Y'all'll die in there!" The words echoed in my head.

"I take all the chances I can get, you know me. Death seems like such a sweet release."

"Don't say that!" I shut my uncertain mouth. I swear I heard him sob. "Don't ever say that! Hazel, don't go!" My heart lurched in my chest.

"I have to go."

"Alone?!"

"No..."

"Who's with you?" His over-pronunciation of the word 'you' literally set me on edge. If he wasn't slurring every word in that thick accent of his, I had most definitely done something wrong. He was angry at me. Or just frustrated. Honestly, I can't tell you how he felt. It's not like I could see his face. I gulped and looked at the girls.

"Anabel and Sia..."

"Get them to do it alone. They're fine on their own. They're trained officers! Y'all aren't!" This time he definitely sobbed and I heard the distinct sound of plastic collide with a concrete floor. "Ah've been in there before an' ah'll never forget what happened. It's horrifying! Ah don't need you anywhere near there! Y'all're going through enough!" My eyes started to sting. There was a pause.

"It needs to be done." I mustered to say.

"Y'all are stupid." A sniff. "Y'all are so stupid." Something that sounded like glass also hit the floor, but it wasn't followed by anything shattering. There was silence on the other end. Unbroken silence for a whole minute. 

"You still there?" I begged to ask. When he gave me his answer, my heart became what the glass on the floor should have done. It shattered.

"Yes, ah'm still here! Y'all should still be here too! Hazel, ah love you like you love Grillby, or Astrid, or even iced tea! It's my fault y'all've nearly died before! Ah even vowed to not let it happen again! You. Are not. Going in there!" The breath was knocked from my lungs. I blinked through tears that were threatening to flow. "Ya can't go in there! Y'all'll die! Nobody at homes gonna understand! Y'all're gonna become one of those disappearances! Astrid won't live with herself! Ah won't either!" He paused and sobbed multiple times. I forced myself not to let the action be mutual. "Those friends who tried to beat me up in town... They'll be more than upset! You're parents and sisters won't know where to go or what to do! Gladion's gonna live with the guilt of knowing it was his fault!" I slammed my eyes shut and sobbed, hunching over and hugging my free arm around my waist. "Ah'm beggin' ya! Please! Don't do this!" 

"Stop making good points! It's my duty! I have to! I am the flame!" I retorted, knowing how shrivelled and pathetic I would have sounded. There was a strangled gasp.

"F**K BEING THE FLAME!! Listen to me - even if it's just this once! Ah don't care if ya never listen to me ever again! Just listen to ya boy this one time and don't go in there! There's so many others who can do this! Nobody's gonna wanna live with 'emselves if y'all're gone! Y'all'll die! Nobody needs the flame to complete this! Ya don't have to go! Don't go!" His voice suddenly dropped to a mere whisper and I'm sure what he said next was to himself. "Oh my god, please don't go." I let go of a sob. He did too. Quite a few sobs in fact. He was definitely crying now. Now it wasn't just my heart. I felt my soul leaving me. How would I explain this to him when I returned? God, he would be giving me the cold shoulder for the rest of the year.

No. The rest of my life.

"Guzma..." I sobbed again. "I'm sorry!" I yanked the phone from my ear and ended the call, throwing it to the ground and falling to my knees. I let myself cry it out. I could feel Anabel and Sia watching me, but whatever they were feeling for me was unknown. If they pitied me or saw me as weak, I don't care. I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't take his bargaining anymore. 

So much had changed since we first met. 

So damn much.

He cared about me now. He wouldn't have done that while we were being lectured on the importance of our mission in Poni Meadow. He wouldn't have done that when he watched us leave to find Matilda's lair to risk our lives. He wouldn't have done that when we returned in one piece. He wouldn't have done that when we were on that boat to Sinnoh. My battle with Niekramant had changed him, just as it had changed me.

But now he cared too much. It was blinding him from the mission at hand. He didn't understand that I HAD to do this. There was no other choices. I was the one who had to do it. My phone rattled loudly on the stairs as a call came in. I picked up the device, wiping away still falling tears. I declined it. Almost immediately, another one. Declined. Another one. Declined.

A text now. It read two simple words.

'ANSWER ME'

Another text.

'DONT DO THIS HAZEL!'

Another call. Declined. I could feel that this would last forever if I didn't stop it. I turned off my phone before it could overwhelm me anymore. I hunched over more, letting my face fall to my crouched knees. I continued to sob. After a minute of hysterics, I forced myself to stand and turned around. The girls were looking at me with unreadable expressions, though I think Anabel held a bit of sympathy in those eyes. I stormed past them.

"Let's just get this over with." I muttered, shoving my phone into my bag, next to a now useless Shadow Ball that couldn't call back its Pokemon no matter how hard I tried to make it, and a Water Stone I never really had use for. 

"Hazel, do you need a moment? That sounded-" I cut Anabel off.

"I'm fine!" I trudged up the stairs even more.

"That sounded really rough. I assume he didn't take it well?" Sia asked as she submitted and trailed behind me. I let out a broken chuckle.

"You think?! He's not gonna talk to me for years after this stunt! I've gone and f**ked everything we had!" I clutched the strap of my bag close to my chest, my chest clawing with more sobs and more tears. I wanted to break down completely. Cry out every stress and heartbreak and horrid intrusive thought and depressed craving and just... I wanted to cry.

The girls tried to talk to me some more, but I kept silent. I was trying to not imagine Guzma sitting on the floor of the workshop, trying fruitlessly to call me for minutes even after it kept going straight to message bank, his token sunglasses lying half broken on the floor beside him after he threw them down when I wouldn't agree with him, crying because... He might lose me again. My poor, beaten heart couldn't take that. 

We made it to the alter just about when I was ready to hurl myself over a cliff, but also simultaneously ready for whatever this candy shop would prove itself to be. I was puffed from the amounts of stairs and wanted to flop on the ground, but stayed standing for fear of looking like even more of a weak little girl. As Sia threw a Luxury Ball forward when we reached our required place and a rift of light had appeared in front of the waterfall, Anabel set a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry. This wasn't your choice. Now your friendship with him is going to go downhill. If we had have known..."

"You couldn't of chosen anyone else. I'm the flame. It's my responsibility to do this. I'm the one the prophecy speaks of. This wasn't my choice. But it was fates'." I sighed wistfully and brushed my still flushed cheek. "You guys aren't to blame. I'm sure we'll make up when this is all over." She gave me a small smile.

"That is a spirit to be sure." Suddenly her brow furrowed and she looked in pain. She leaned dangerously off to one side, like she was about to stumble over.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked, grabbing her arm to steady her. She accepted my help without a moment's thought.

"Yes, just..." She rubbed her temple. "Sometimes stressful missions get to my head. Headaches, you know?" I nodded, but I wasn't sure that she was actually okay. But it couldn't last. Sia's voice broke the air and I looked up to see the Moone Pokemon itself.

"OPEN THE WORMHOLE, NEBBY!!" The legendary Pokemon let out a screech in reply and the glowing rift of light split open. Fountains of coloured light poured from the rift, tearing a hole in the fabric of comprehendible reality. Sia turned to Anabel and I and held out a hand. "It's time to go."


	7. The Hunted Officers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Ultra Wormhole.
> 
> Niekramant's territory.
> 
> And the purple light of a lost soul.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers: you're going to shit yourself. This is one hell of a chapter. Forget about the exposition filled character heads you've had for the past three chapters. It's onto something really interesting now.
> 
> Another spoiler: I wrote the end three pages of this in one day. That day was today. I wrote a good amount of this in one day after a lost of procrastinating and going further ahead than I should. It's great!
> 
> Oh and another spoiler: the mystery just gets deeper.
> 
> ENJOY NOW

The Ultra Wormhole.

It was trippy as all hell in there.

It seemed like everything was illuminated by bioluminescent lights, coming from the strange, oversized ferns that lined Quartz pebbled pathways that led to nowhere, and palms of sorts were everywhere, looking ghostly in the glowing blues and greens and purples. The sky was inky black, if it could even be called a sky. 

"We made it." Anabel said quietly, adjusting her suit and tie and neatening her hair, which had grown a mess after the portal jump. Sia nodded in reply, looking estranged in the place. I was just sorta... Looking around. This was all alien to me, unlike how it wasn't anything too new to them. I took a moment to inspect my arms, which had become a little scraped up after my awkward landing, but I wasn't at all in bad shape. I couldn't be for what lay ahead of us.

"Which way to the..." I gulped, the words catching me. "Minions?" Sia looked at me and pointed down further into a clearing. 

"Down that way. It's a long walk. Watch your step; the ultra beasts are everywhere." She beckoned Anabel and I, guiding us to a hidden road, line the same way, looking almost the exact same as everywhere else. A strange, anthropomorphic bug thing emerged from the ferns temporarily, zipping across the pebbles with so much speed, I nearly didn't see it. "Pheromosa. Won't attack unless provoked. Keep your Pokemon close." She pulled a Great Ball from her pocket, keeping it trained to her hand. I moped and grabbed the first pokeball from my bag, keeping it close in case I needed it. We continued onward, silent, except for my quiet groaning. 

I was trying not to be totally obvious about how much I didn't want to be here. Especially after that phone call. But I didn't want to fight minions and save people. Why couldn't I be at home on my comfy bed with some tortilla chips and my laptop, rewatching Voltron for the seventh time? Or dying with the new wait on new Steven Universe episodes and drowning that killer of a hiatus by rewatching Camp Camp or those anime's my sister showed me last year? You know, the cool one with a new season due next month? Prophecy, prophecy. Umbras and penumbras. All that fun shadow and death related stuff.

That's why.

I can't say much happened on the walk. We all kept our pokeballs close in case of early confrontation, sticking to the pathways. Sia was certain of where we had to go, heading through to pathways hidden by ferns of all shapes and sizes. There were a few strange twists and turns. Even Anabel seemed a little confused, judging by the amount of nervous glances she cast over her shoulder at me. I could see she wasn't going too great. That headache was probably returning. But the safety and easiness wouldn't last forever. Eventually, something unnerving happened. 

There was rustling in a fern, a palm's leaves shaking with nonexistent wind. The three of us stopped walking and turned our attention to it. But... Nothing was there. We were expecting some mutant jellyfish or oversized candy eater to jump out of the leaves and attack us. We'd encountered almost all of them in our trek thus far and avoided confrontation. But there wasn't even anything there... At least not that we could see.

That's the thing. The sky was black. Almost everything around us was black. The bioluminescence, though giving a sinister and warped effect to everything visible, didn't do much to actually give us light to see. I guess that's why we couldn't see it. 

Sia turned away from the plant. "Just a beast messing with us. Probably a Xurkitree. Let's keep going. Niekramant's territory isn't far." My heart thudded. Even though my feet were aching because we had been walking for miles and miles, I wasn't ready to be at the territory. That meant, finding people and killing minions.

"What's the plan for when we get there?" I asked.

"First priority, recon. We need to see if there's minions on the border. Second priority, find the taken people who 'disappeared'. If the minions get in our way, we kill them. Fire types out." That wasn't an issue for someone like me. Four fire types and two other very strong types. Sia squeezed that Great Ball and I felt myself grow a little weak. Hothead, her prized Arcanine. Level 94, weakest of her team, but a real killer. I felt a little intimidated with Grillby, but I didn't dare take his pokeball from my bag. He was my strongest fire type and overall Pokemon (and still is). Using him, much like in the battle with Niekramant was a sort of last resort. 

I realised the one I had been clutching the entire time was Matty. Not a fire type, but still strong enough. I didn't know what might happen if she didn't win her battles here, but I was certain it couldn't be as bad as what nearly happened in that big battle. The fern rustled again and we all turned around to look at it. There was nothing there. I got an idea.

I took out my phone. There was an obvious 'no service' band across the top. But I opened the camera and snapped one photo with the flash on. I took a few more.

"Um, Hazel? What are you doing?" Anabel asked, sounding a tad estranged. 

"I know what I'm doing." I remarked, snapping a few more.

"You're taking pictures of a plant." Sia said in the most condescending and heartbreaking way. I lowered my phone and opened the gallery. My screen was on a bit of a fritz, but the bulk was still working. 

"No I'm not." I clicked on the photos stored in my SD card. There were seventeen photos of the fern. "I'm taking pictures..." I scrolled through the photos. I gasped as I reached the thirteenth one. Fourth last one I took. "Of this!" I showed them what was on the screen.

Just as they crowded around to see it, the creature jumped from the fern, aimed at getting me. I somehow swerved out of its way, throwing the phone into Sia's stomach and my pokeball at the same time. Matty emerged with her usual confidence and watched as the creature continued to go after me. It launched at me again and I only just managed to roll out of its way. I could feel my knee begin to pound again. "MATTY, USE BRICK BREAK!" I screamed, dodging yet another attack from whatever that thing barrelling towards me was. Long story short, Matty's attack missed. 

I knew then that we were definitely dealing with a minion. 

The buggers can avoid almost anything. Even moves that never miss. 

"Hothead, Flare Blitz!" "Salamance, Fire Fang!" Sia and Anabel yelled in unison, throwing a pokeball each. They both missed. I tried to stand, but was forced back to the ground as it went to headshot me. Like a rogue bludger, it was right back into attacking me. It came pummelling down and I had to army roll my way out from beneath it. I yelled for Matty to attack it in a shaky voice. Just after I managed it, I jumped to my feet. I was feeling dizzy with all this movement and the light was making me feel nauseous. Sia and Anabel commanded their attacks again. I felt air whoosh past me and I jumped as quick as I could in the opposite direction.

Only I was sure I had heard something. It was... The thing had spoken, I was sure of it. It was a different language, something I didn't properly understand. But I saw sure I heard it say something. Something caught my foot and I face planted into the pebbles with a shriek. Only now did something happen to that blasted minion. Salamance landed its attack and the minion crumpled with an ear splitting sound. I fell back into the darkness and didn't return. I lifted my head. Everything was hurting. I could feel small cuts on my arms and face. My lip was split. 

"I knew we were close! Now they might know our plan!" Sia yelled in frustration.

"It was just one. And we did kill it." Anabel tried to reason.

"It might have just retreated. Arceus knows what it wanted."

"It wanted to kill me. It knew something." I said from the ground, touching my face tenderly and finding the cuts everywhere. I hoped they wouldn't leave any scars, but who knew with this type of shit. From what I could tell, I wasn't bleeding too badly, just a little. I hadn't checked my arms yet. Sia apparently didn't care about my opinion. 

"Sure. Get up, and stay alert. If there's gonna be more of them and they all act like that, we're going to fail this mission."

"Yeah. Because I'm the head of this mission and it all rests on me." I said, helping myself up and dusting myself off. There was rock dust covering my clothes. Matty marched over and nuzzled me in concern. She must've felt bad. She didn't land any hits. "I'm fine." I murmured to her, giving her a pet before clicking her back into her pokeball.

"Exactly." Every part of me was aching and I really wanted to just collapse and sleep. I looked at my arms, which were definitely beat up. They were bleeding for sure, but I had half a kind not to say anything. I hated this, but why would I say that? We were so far, there was no backing down. It was the point of no return now.

Anabel was the one who did something for my injuries, saying that since potions were only fit for Pokemon, we were going to have to make do. She helped bandage up my forearms where it was the worst and cleaned my lip, telling me that as soon as this was over, I was going to make a visit to Dr. Smith, because Helix knew what foreign diseases I was going to contract. I couldn't argue with that. She gave me my phone again. It was unharmed. 

We continued on our way, now much more cautious of everything. We had to make sure nothing ambushed us like that again. We couldn't afford that, especially if all of them were going to be after me like that. I had chosen to work with FireBeam instead of Matty, thinking that maybe an actual fire type might be better suited for all of this and after all, Lava Plume is one of those attacks that don't require contact to be effective against your foe. We stopped at a place where the pathway ended and a wall of darkness stood. "This is it." I heard Sia say. She looked around cautiously. "Okay. We heard Alfred. From what we know, minions are going to be everywhere and we can't afford to get caught. We have to see if this is where Niekramant is and if our stolen friends are hiding."

"I don't remember the finding Niekramant here part." I admitted, adjusting my glasses with a tired gesture.

"Then you haven't been paying any attention at all!" She snapped. That impending want for giving up was now gnawing at my throbbing heels. I felt like crying.

"Oh, lay off her, Ciaran. This is her first mission. You weren't as prim and proper as we wanted you to be on the first mission you had. You chased after Looker's delusions and found Necrozma, after post." Anabel said in a rather firm voice, coming to my aid once again. I felt small, having to be saved for my stupidity. Granted, I appreciated it, but c'mon. 

"At least finding Necrozma meant something in the end. It lead to all of this. If it wasn't for ME finding it then we would have no idea that the apocalypse is going to happen!" Sia snarled back, pointing accusing fingers. I felt like punching her in the face. Necrozma wasn't the key here. The alter was. It was Necrozma that lead to us truly understanding things about minions and finding out about connections and such. It wasn't only her. "You should be thanking ME for all of this, otherwise you'd all be goners!" I looked over at Anabel, who, while trying to keep a stoic yet superior expression, looked to be in a world of pain. You could tell by the shake in her clenched fists and sweat forming on her brow.

"Okay! We get it! I was stupid and didn't listen! Let's just get this over with!" I shouted, attempting to just end this conversion here and now. Something rustled in a bush nearby. "Now let's stop fighting and focus on this!" The rustling intensified. "If we keep fighting like this..." I swerved around and threw my pokeball. "WE'LL MISS WHAT'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF US! USE LAVA PLUME!" FireBeam exploded from the ball with a screech before rocketing into the attack, right as a mass of darkness launched from another fern. I threw myself at the girls to get them down and away from the attack, knowing they could get hurt as well. 

I was glad my suspicion was right so I could look like I knew what I was doing. But that was going to be a one off. 

FireBeam landed with a satisfying victory, only needing the one attack. I grabbed the ball and he was taken back. Sia looked stunned as she stood back up. Anabel took a moment to massage her temple. I offered her a hand to stand up and she accepted it with a smile most grateful. "Now let's just go in and get this done." Sia didn't have a comment and walked up the wall and then stepped through it. I was momentarily surprised, before following. 

*

On the other side, everything was much weirder. If I thought the ultra wormhole was strange, this was something completely otherworldly. You know in Minecraft how there's those portals to the Nether and to the End? It was like both of combined. A black sky once again, illuminated by completely purple light, but with like... Netherstone instead of Endstone... Or whatever it's called. The terrain itself was...

A nightmare.

It was all twisted and black and everything looked burned with charcoal. It was like the remains of Po Town, but no rain had washed any of it away. The air was overly dry and it smelt of iron and sulphur, like I was standing at the summit of a volcano. But instead of it being hot, it was damn cold. I hugged my arms around me to retain heat and almost immediately started shivering. It was dry and cold, but there was no wind. It was so strange. 

There were trees with leaves like claws, and the 'pathways' looked like something from the distortion world; upside down and doing pirouettes left and right. You could almost see pits of ashes simmering and steam rising, though they would give off no heat. Only maybe emit even more cold. I checked my phone and it was literally dead.

"Where do we go from here?" Anabel asked, making me feel a little less stupid. Even she didn't know what we were supposed to do.

"I... I..." Sia hesitated, looking around and shivering. She hugged herself and vigorously rubbed her arms to obtain any semblance of warmth. It was like being in a snowscape. "I don't know... It's... It didn't look like this the first time we came here." She looked around, teeth chattering slightly. "We should just... Do physics even exist here?"

"They don't need physics in hell. Haven't you-" I was rudely interrupted. The joke would have to wait.

"Probably not. And this isn't hell, necessarily. Just..."

"Some form of it." Anabel followed up. We all kept our faces down to the cold as if there was wind and started walking. Wherever the path led was where it would take us. But somehow, us mortals were still affected by physics and found that some parts of the trail couldn't be passed over without Pokemon aid. Eventually, we all agreed to use Pokemon to get some sort of aerial view and hopefully find the people we were looking for. We hadn't encountered any minions yet, which was setting us all on edge. I had to borrow a Pokemon from Sia, since she has three flying types that are birds... And can fly... Obviously.

As we were soaring through the inky black, shivering as we clung to our feathered friends, we were ambushed.

They came in a flurry, multiple at once. They struck at our flying types with vicious intent and they all attempted to retreat in panic, nearly throwing the three of us off in their attempts to flee. We managed to get to the ground successfully and without ourselves getting hurt somehow, our Pokemon unfortunately taking the hits for us. I stayed close to Sia's Decidueye and threw a ball from my bag. Yellow Belly. I put it back. A poison type would do jack shit against all of these guys. Plus, it was bringing back memories of Plumeria in the hallway. I threw another ball and nearly cried when it was Grillby. Hothead was also released and Sia made sure she was quicker to command. We used the same attack.

I nearly hit AshFeather in the process accidentally, but I figured it was worth it. What could Grillby do against a level 98 Decidueye? A lot, but I digress. The minions were after me, again. They barely paid Sia or Anabel any heed and struck right for me. I could hear them saying something. They were chanting something in a different language, but I'm sure it was polymia. The same word that had come up on the translator on that stupid experiment day. They were chanting it in demonic voices with every blow they threw at me that narrowly missed as I managed to dodge.

The entire fight came down to me shouting commands over Sia and having to put every bit of agility in me to the test in a very short span of time. But, unlike what we thought would happen, after we dealed with that one big flurry, more kept coming for us and we realised that standing here and fighting was a futile quest. 

We had to run and lose them all somehow. 

Anabel and I had the sense to flee back into the sky. We took our fighters back and went soaring, going as high as our Pokemon would dare to go. Sia was quick to follow, saying that if we did a few tricks, we might be able to throw them out of whack, and might be able to continue on the ground, or even just continue scoping from here. 

We did as we were told, taking advantage of agility to throw off the minions. I admittedly didn't feel any safer up in the air. My crippling fear of heights had me shitting myself and the thought of more minions was equally terrifying. Eventually, we lost the minions and we were soaring through the black skies, a beacon to our position. We were alert, as always. This wasn't just a place where you black out and dissociate for a while. 

Eventually, we spotted something we knew we had to check out. It was some sort of fortress. It wasn't guarded. We made a cautious landing and ran along the rooftops until we found our entrance. 

"What do you think is in here?" I asked when we ran down some stairs into a strangely lit hallway. 

"It should hopefully be the prison of our stolen friends." Sia answered with a sneer. We started walking. I looked at Anabel. It was obvious something was wrong now. 

"But if this was a prison, wouldn't there be guards? Unless, this is of course just a trap. Which, based on what's happened so far, wouldn't be a stretch. These... These things aren't stupid you know." Sia didn't answer. I could tell she was getting sick of hearing me talk. 

"Well, if it's a trap, we escape. If its not, we succeed." I cringed. I had more to say.

"Okay, say it is really the prison we're looking for. What if we do find them? Then what? How the hell are we supposed to get them out of here? It's a long way back to the wormhole and the minions are going to be after us like no man's business." 

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there." I nearly stopped in my tracks. Was she really letting dumb pride overpower the whole freaking mission? It was a valid question and we couldn't just leave it to when we got there. A hand landed on my shoulder and I was stunned, thinking something had finally got me. I was surprised when it was just Anabel. 

"Are you getting a bad feeling about this place?" She asked in an overly hushed voice. I nodded.

"I don't know what we're supposed to do if this really is successful... But if it isn't and this really is a trap..." 

"Listen, something is messing with her head." I stopped walking altogether.

"What?!" 

"Shush!" She placed a finger over her mouth. I glanced over at Sia, who was still walking. She didn't know we had even stopped. "It's something about this place. I've seen her on missions; she doesn't get all cocky and act like she's all high and mighty or that she constantly needs to prove a point. And she never argues with her superiors. Ever since we entered the wormhole, she's been... Extra." I nodded.

"Wha'd'ya think it is?"

"One of these minions is slowly taking control of her, or its just possession, or... Did she get hit at all in any of our fights with the minions?"

"Not that I saw, but then again I have been dodging for my life this entire time." She nodded grimly.

"I was thinking it might be a sickness. Gladion mentioned that there's something about Niekramant and its minions. Some sort of pathogen."

"Yeah, I was there when he found it."

"You guys coming or what?" Sia called from the end of the hallway, giving us a stoic look. 

"We're on our way!" Anabel called up to her and she started walking again. "But I think it might have to do with that." She muttered as trailed just behind her.

"I can see where you'd draw that conclusion." I answered. It didn't take long to catch up with Sia. We traversed a few more hallways, weary of every step we took. Why didn't any of the minions follow us? Why weren't there any around here? It was suspicious and I definitely didn't trust it. In any way, shape or form. 

Eventually I noticed something that they didn't. There was a handle sticking from the wall. I squinted. A handle? I grabbed and yanked downward. It obeyed. I pulled with all my might and a door slid open. I nearly fell backward. Sia and Anabel were just ahead, and hadn't heard me open the door. They also didn't hear someone hiss,

"Oh god they're back!" It was coming from in the room beyond the door. Taking a deep breath, I peered into the room. I nearly gasped.

It was the prisoners. 

Well, not all of them. It was just five people of the close to a hundred kidnapped. But it was five people nonetheless. I was disappointed to see that I didn't recognise anyone. But one girl...

I frantically retreated from sight, hiding behind the door. That was a somewhat familiar yet extremely attractive face! I looked back in. The people were looking at me, confused. I noticed that they were tied to pillars by some sort of black ropes. One of them said,

"But you're not- who are you?" Unfortunately, I was staring at a girl with blonde hair and brilliant green eyes. She reminded me of Gladion, to be honest. Something was telling me this was Lillie...

I once again retreated, hiding behind the door. My face was bright red, I could tell just by how hot my face felt compared the air around me. I looked to my right and Anabel was staring at me.

"What's going on...? Why is your face that red?" She asked. Well I couldn't really just admit that I already had the hots for somebody. So instead, I said,

"I found some of them." She gasped.

"WHAT?!" I jerked a thumb over my shoulder.

"Five of em." She rushed over to me, wide eyed.

"WHO?!" She grabbed the handle and yanked back, nearly throwing me to the ground.

"Okay, who are you people?" Another voice said from in the room.

"You're not working for the creatures, right?" Came yet another.

"No. We're part of the international police and we're here to help." Anabel said as she stepped into the room. I followed behind her closely. "Senior Officer Anabel and Agent Hazel." She introduced formally. I gave a determined nod.

"Had a good look, I see?" The girl I'd eyed off asked in a sarcastic tone, glaring at me. Anabel glanced at me with a smirk as my face grew redder. I didn't have a reply. "Well, if you're here to help, you could start by untying us." She said with a tone of anger. Anabel gave a slight nod.

"Of course. But first, we need you to answer some questions. Hazel, close the door." I did as was told as the five people in the room started groaning. "Hear me out. We don't know how many people we need to save. If we can get some info off you before we find anyone else, it could be vital to the rescue."

"What do you need to know?" A girl with a serene tone about her asked.

Anabel told me to keep a close watch on the door while she questioned the five people about their experience here - if they were being hurt by the minions, if they knew where anyone else was, if they could escape in any way on their own, things like that.

But the interrogation didn't get very far, because trouble came up a bit quicker than we thought.

I was standing by the door, keeping a lookout when something came around the corner. When I saw the movement, I thought it was gonna be Sia, but I was wrong. A mass of black, clad in luminescent purple came around the corner and looked me straight in the eye. I slammed the door closed and hid myself within the room. 

"WE GOT A PROBLEM!" I yelled. Anabel turned around in millisecond. 

"Minion?" She asked, but before I could correct her, she said continued. "Damnit. Damnit all to hell! We're trapped!" She started to pace. "Did it see you?"

"Yes, but-"

"Oh that's great. Fantastic! They check the rooms periodically! We can't hide!"

"It wasn't a minion." I said through her comments. She turned to me, a brow furrowed and sweat dripping down her forehead. 

"What?"

"It didn't look anything like the Pokemon ones. Or any of the other noids we saw. It looked..." How was I supposed to describe this? "... It looked almost human."

"WHAT?!" Even the people tied up looked confused.

"But the guards look like Pokemon!" The blonde girl yelled. "What are you trying to say?!"

"I don't know! It was some figure with large hands with claws and these sweeping robes and it was glowing black light! Like, it was emitting darkness! And it had these red eyes and pale skin and a slender face and... It's face was human!"

"We've never seen anything like that before." One of the people said, looking estranged. The serene girl perked up.

"You two better run. It's not a minion or a guard at all."

"What is it then?" Anabel asked, caution and worry in her shaking voice.

"You'll be one if you don't run!" She yelled. We had no idea what she was talking about. What the hell could she mean? But even through the mystery, we took her advice. 

"Well come back for you!" I yelled as Anabel flung the door open, took me by the wrist and took off. The thing was right outside the doorway. Anabel screamed and nearly yanked my arm from the socket as she ran. But something happened in the brief moment my eyes met the creatures' again.

The red colour meant nothing. Those eyes were in pain. They were lost and confused. And the figure, while clad in glowing robes and with disfigured hands, that human face was one I recognised. The way their black hair was tied, their eyebrows drawn so angular, yet full of despair, their face was just begging to be saved. I had seen that face only days ago in the hallway of the laboratory level in Aether Paradise.

It was Plumeria.

I tried not to cry as we fled. We were failing our mission. We ran for a while, retracing our steps as best we could, but we encountered Sia before we managed to exit. 

"What is going on?!" She asked, tone accusatory. 

"We found some of the people, but we were attacked by some... Thing in a cloak!" Anabel answered through strangled breaths. Sia nodded, rolling her eyes.

"I guessed as much. I supposed you didn't save anyone?" Anabel cringed and didn't reply. I answered for her.

"We were attacked while trying to save them! Though... I wouldn't call it attacked..." Her face grew disbelieving.

"You have to be joking! You weren't attacked, yet you reacted like you were?!"

"We didn't know what that thing was capable of, so we avoided it!" Anabel continued for me. "Let's not fight about this! We have the information we need, so let's go! We're going to need more supplies and support if we want to save these people anyway!" Something appeared at the end of the hallway behind them. I pointed. 

"Uh, guys!" I yelled. They turned around and saw it. "That's what we ran from!" Except something about this one was different. Their expression wasn't so restful. And their hair was cropped short and even seemed to float about their shoulders. This person I didn't recognise, but I think I can be happy for that.

Then everything got worse. A flurry of minions was behind it and they came running at us. Sia took a defensive position and yelled,

"JUST RUN, BOTH OF YOU!!" She threw a pokeball and out came Hothead. She threw a ball at me. "JUST GET OUT OF HERE, YOU USELESS BASTARDS!" She yelled again. "I'LL SUBDUE THEM, SO GO!!" I threw the ball and out came AshFeather. She really meant for us to get out of there. Anabel threw her Salamance into action. 

"COME ON CIARAN! SAVE YOURSELF AS WELL!" Sia gave a cursed glance and yelled a command for Hothead before she jumped on AshFeather. Anabel told me to join her with the Salamance and we flew to our exit and went forth into the sky. Sia had sometime in that time got her Arcanine back and was fumbling with the Great Ball when we were attacked again. 

We had to abandon our flying Pokemon again and were forced to fight on the ground. It was a battle of skills. I was quick to keep dodging the attacks that were almost constantly being thrown at me and commanded Flare Mane with skill. Sia and Anabel were also strategically calling their attacks. It was growing overwhelming, however, and I was only narrowly missing the seven seperate attacks that would be thrust at me all at one time. 

Then it happened. One of the minions made contact with Sia and it was all over. She fought as chains latched to her wrists and ankles, but instead of pulling her to the ground, they surrounded her and her skin grew pale. Her wild, caramel hair began to stain black. Her once vibrant blue eyes began to turn red. She fought against the chains that swept around her, tense as Plumeria had been when it was her turn. Anabel and I watched in terror and didn't take advantage of the minions stopping to watch as she was transformed into what I assumed at the time was one of them. But she was the one who turned to us, and while her tear stained eyes flickered from blue to red and the chains began to form something of robes, reminded us of what to do.

"RUN!!"


	8. Aftermath of Failure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our mission failed. We lost Sia. We still had much more to go through afterward, however. I get to meet someone who says he'll help, but his eyes are so cold. And his gaze chilling. And what am I supposed to say to Hau, now that we lost his girlfriend to minions?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bloop. Here's the next chapter. We get a new character in this one. He's lovely, but his eyes make him intimidating.
> 
> I love this chapter because it starts bad, but ends off on a really nice note.

I don't remember much of what happened after we started running. We dodged attacks from several minions without using our Pokemon to back us up and just kept running until we reached the wall. We jumped through and collapsed in the wormhole on the other side. I felt like dying and I know that she did too. But we picked ourselves back up with strangled gasps and kept going. Our Pokemon fainted, we had to go alone. Ride Pagers inactive, we had to go alone.

And it hurt like a bitch. 

As we ran, something dawned on us very quickly. We reached the first of the many intersections and realised... We had no idea where we were going.

"WHICH WAY DO WE GO?!" I exclaimed, panting. I was NOT used to this much running. I wanted to collapse. We had to keep going or else I might just fall over right now and never get up again. We had no idea if we were being pursued or not, but we weren't willing to take our chances. We ran the first way we thought to.

We had to put some serious faith in our memories, trying to get back. But, like always, our luck failed us. Neither could remember those strange twists Sia had led us through. We were completely lost and surrounded by unknown creatures and were probably being tailed by minions as we ran. We put it down to 'if we keep running, we'll find our way back eventually'.

But as I ran, the look in Sia's eyes as she told us to run - those flickering blue and red eyes - was imprinted in my brain. And the pain you could see in the way Plumeria stared, it wouldn't leave me. I remember Anabel being blindly scared when we encountered her leaving the prisoners, but all I could feel was a subtle hopelessness sheltered under my overwhelming fear and anxiety. 

We had failed our mission.

And now we were lost. Literally.

We were so f**king lost. 

We had no idea how Sia had led us around. There were so many strange twists and turns and lefts and rights that we couldn't keep track of it, let alone flip back around for us to go back. So our ticket out was gone... We were so hopelessly lost. We might've only run for about fifteen minutes, but it felt like hours. It's funny what adrenaline does to you, because even when it hurt, I barely registered my extremely accelerated heart rate. We both just kept running.

Eventually, we stopped because of a Nihilego in the road looking like it wanted to fight us. Anabel told me we should keep running and avoid it, but I collapsed to my knees and did something I never do. I screamed my lungs out. The ultra beast skittered away in fear and Anabel covered her ears to the sound. I felt like crying. But I just had to scream. I don't now why I did it. But I did.

Let's be thankful I did that, because somehow, Sia's Lunala heard me. I hadn't noticed, but it came here with us. It was our way home, back through the portal. Nebby scooped us both up and carried us back to the portal helping us make the jump successfully. Unfortunately, when we arrived home, at the alter of the Moone, it looked around, confused. Their master... Where were they? Nebby had no pokeball to go to, no master to obey. 

Anabel spent a short time consoling the creature, and left it to protect the alter until the day of the eclipse, when we would most likely be returning. We had to return home. She ran down the stairs, I tripped down them and cleared the distance, skiing gone wrong and turning into a giant snowball style, only with sandstone stairs. Surprised I didn't break my neck.

We ran most of our way back to Seafolk Village, worried minions would have found their way to us, and got our ferry back home. The entire ride home, we fidgeted in our seats. She checked my injuries, and cringed. It was clear I was in horrid condition. She made a call. 

I was close to nodding off from exhaustion when the captain told us we were back at Aether Paradise. I got off the boat, nearly falling over with sea legs and a tired disposition, Anabel doing almost the same as me. I looked up and... My heart dropped.

Hau was standing nearby, he waved enthusiastically to us both, looking ecstatic that we had returned in one piece. We tramped over and he looked us over, causing his face to fall. We reached him and he looked confused and afraid.

"Wh-where's Sia?" He asked, voice shaking a little as he spoke. I looked to Anabel. She gave a grim nod.

"I'm sorry. We failed our mission and... She was taken in Niekramant's territory." His face completely changed, his bottom lip trembling and his greyish brown eyes filling with tears.

"You mean... She's gone?" His voice cracked and he let out a sob. 

"We might be able to-" I tried to console him and say we could get her back somehow later on, but Anabel interjected.

"Essentially, yes." She said coldly. Hau burst into tears, making my heart clench in my chest. Hau is the happiest and most caring person I have ever met. He's so genuine and lovely. Do you understand how heartbreaking it is to hear someone like that cry their eyes out because they've just been told they're never going to see the girl they love again?

It's the worst.

I tried to console him some more, but he pulled away. Reminds me of what I do when I cry. I don't let anyone near me. I don't listen to their words. He didn't want to hear it. After a while of just trying, Anabel had had enough of this and took me by the arm to the elevator, leaving Hau a sobbing mess. She input the code into the elevator to go and have a brief talk to Gladion and let him know our mission was a failure, before we would later report to a meeting. I watched Hau with sad eyes. I felt so sorry for him.

As the elevator began to ascend, he looked at us go. He glanced at us both, and the way he looked at me tore me to shreds. It was a glare of resentment, I just knew it.

It's then that everything in my memories becomes vividly clearer. Because in that moment, when I saw the way he looked at, I really knew that it was my fault we left Sia behind. And suddenly, the whole world was on my shoulders again. Exhaustion pressed into my mind and the weight made my knees buckle.

Everything is my fault. Sia's gone. I'm sorry, Hau. I'm so, so sorry. It's all my fault. I can't believe it. I've let everyone down. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. It's my fault, but I'm so sorry. Hau, forgive me. I didn't mean it. I know I did it, but I didn't mean to. I'm so sorry. Sia, I'm sorry. Hau, I'm sorry. Everyone. I'm sorry. It's all my fault. I'm so incompetent and stupid. It's my fault. Everything is my fault. Hau, please forgive me. I'm sorry. It's my fault. 

I'm sorry.

*

We arrived at one of the quarantine labs, since Aether Paradise is so discount they don't have anywhere to treat human patients. Dr. Smith was waiting for us, Anabel having called in advance on the ferry. She took a moment to explain the situation to him, while I sat, falling asleep on the work bench, because I didn't fancy sitting on a bunch of test tubes. 

I got a good look at the doctor himself. He looked to be about mid thirties, sleek ocean blue hair and the half shadow of a beard. It was some pretty impressive stubble, to be honest. He also had rather enchanting baby blue eyes. In general, his face was rather appealing, what some would refer to as beautiful. I wouldn't have disagreed. If I had've met him near the ocean, I would have mistaken him for a siren... Wait.

"So Sky. You are the one everyone has been talking about?" Dr. Smith said as he turned to me, piercing me with that solid blue gaze. I gulped and scratched at my dry skin, avoiding his eyes. They were so striking, it was kinda scary.

"Y-yes? Maybe?" His brow furrowed and he leaned down to be at eye level with my sitting height. I somehow hadn't realised, but he was tall. I wouldn't have been any taller than my normal standing height while hunched over on the bench, and he was leaning far down to meet me. To my surprise, he grabbed my face with one hand, and looked my face over with eyes like microscopes, seeing anything and everything.

"Yes, you definitely look like someone by that name. Hazel Sky... Fits you to a tee, unlike me." He placed a finger right to a bruise on my face and I tried my hardest not to recoil or cringe or make any indication of pain. He made a few noises, prodding my face and inspecting my injuries while commentating on his life story. "You see, I never really thought a name like John would fit me. I sound like the CEO when all I have is a lousy biology degree, which gets you, where exactly in this era? I feel sorry for your generation, honestly. Generation Z will suffer more than millennials, no doubt about that. You're exhibit A of such... Be proud!" I grew very uncomfortable very quickly, and he reopened my split lip, which had just stopped bleeding excessively.

I swear, it was his eyes.

Then he looked at my arms. He unwrapped the bandages around my forearms and cringed. Outwardly cringed. "Dear god! What on Earth happened here?! The scratches and scabs! The... The scars? What are..." He turned and glared at Anabel. "You let this happen to her?!" He turned back to me. "Roll up the legs of your pants, now! If they're anything like this, I have a judgement call to make!" I made a few concerned noises, not all there, and obeyed, sweating nervously. I felt somehow far more awkward with him looking at my exposed, hairy legs (that I never care to shave because why should I care?). Thankfully, no judgement calls were made, because I only had two scratches and about three bruises (much less than I was personally expecting).

Well, unless what he proceeded to do was a judgement call (I don't know about this shit. I just train Pokemon and save the world from impending doom by shadow. What the hell is a judgement call anyway?).

He told me to, "Wait here a moment," then walked away from me and had Anabel in the corner in a second, whisper yelling at her furiously. "What kind of an agency are you running if you can allow this to happen to a new recruit - a child no less! She clearly wasn't ready for the task and you didn't give her any medical attention when she needed it! And on top of that, she's gone loopy with exhaustion! Do you not have any idea what having restraint and mercy means?! You are a respected figure in your field; you should have known this was far too much!" He lectured.

"If you never received the briefing, she's the holder of a prophecy. I have to agree that it was too much, but it's not our fault in the fact that she HAS to do this. It's... Well, it's her destiny. It's going to be difficult and it's going to hurt whether she likes it or not."

"Oh contrare! I've heard it all! And I think it's all Taurus manure! If you think it's okay to let this happen to a poor youth just trying to get by, you are no officer protecting us!"

"It's her responsibility! We can't help that!"

"I'm sorry, but I have to stand reason before responsibility! Hazel is but a child being treated like a matured adult with years of training and experience and a clear conscience and good mental and emotional stability! At fifteen, there's absolutely no way she can follow through with what you're asking! Clearly she's not experienced enough for this, judging by the state she's returned in! Have you any idea the burden she must be feeling, being a poor teenager suddenly in foreign lands and a DESTINY?! It's impossible to even think that all of this isn't getting to her head like seeing Aunt Mary at Sunday Brunch! I wouldn't be surprised at all if I did neuro scans and found nothing but an anxious, depressed and obsessive mess! I have to stand with her! This is too much!"

"Then join us later in consulting Superior Ace on what happens next in our mission." He looked stunned.

"You are not understanding what you are doing to her. I can treat her physical injuries, but..." His shoulder hunched and his hands turned to fists that shook from being clenched so hard, knuckles immediately white. "She's just a kid, Anabel. She deserves better - a childhood. A chance to decide what she wants to do with her life. Time with her family and friends. Not this. Anything but this..." Anabel lay a hand on his shoulder sympathetically.

"I'm on your side here, John. I hate seeing her like this. She does deserve better..." Her eyes grew dark. "But none of us can help what's been set out. Life has plans for her and we must aid her through them. It's going to hurt. We and she have to stay strong." Dr. Smith's face darkened and he let out a deep sigh.

"Alright." He said. He turned back to me, looked me up and down, then walked over to another counter, muttering to himself as he pulled a few things out, poured some stuff into some other stuff and shook another thing. He turned back to me, now holding fresh bandages and what looked to be a potion bottle. "This is special kind of medicine. My own brand, of course. I've been told by other people, so my opinion goes unbiased, that it should help as an antibiotic." After I didn't say anything, he followed up with, "It'll heal your scratches."

He walked up to me and told me to cover my mouth and keep my eyes closed behind my glasses. After I complied, he began spraying the solution on the exposed parts of my face. It stung like living hell. "It's composed of a regular super potion, combined with Pecha, Oran, Habbi and Cherri berry juice, as well as a touch of a generic antiviral to ease any infections... Which by the looks you might need." I didn't say a word as he set to work spraying me. After a short while, he carful lay applied some bandages to my face, instructing me to keep them on until I had my next shower, when I would change them and keep them on for at least 24 hours.

I told him I would do that. He seemed satisfied. I wasn't really sure if I would remember to do that, but I pretended I would remember. His eyes. They scared me a little.

After he finished there, he told me to hold up an arm. He set to work on my arm. Anabel watched silently from the corner.

"Anabel, you're free to go." Dr. Smith said suddenly, which startled her.

"But sir-" he cut her off before she could even fight.

"What did I say?" He asked, head whipping around and his eyes meeting hers in an intimidating way. A shiver ran up her spine - you could physically see it happen. "Don't you have a meeting to attend to? Go get Officers Ace and Looker and President Gladion and ready for it. And make sure they know Hazel and myself will be joining you." 

"B-but, you aren't authorised! You can't be at the meeting!" She stammered in surprised reply.

"But, not long ago you said-" he caught himself, shaking his head." Well fine then. I'm not going to be there. But leave now and prepare the meeting. You have a lot to talk about while there, I would be correct in saying?" He clapped his hands. "That will be all, Purple Pearl." He turned back to me and continued spraying. Anabel gave an offended look and let out a defeated groan, leaving the lab in shame. The door closed behind her and Dr. Smith sighed. "She doesn't understand." He muttered, brows furrowed in concentration and frustration at the same time.

"What was all that about?" I had the audacity to ask. He sighed again and I let out a yelp of pain as his hand suddenly tightened around my wrist, applying unneeded pressure to my wounds.

"The diamonds always say things like that when dismissing their inferiors... It felt appropriately timed." He stated and I knew it was to avoid my actual questioning.

"Well, sure. It'd be nice to know who these diamonds are, but uh... Why the dismissal at all?" I probed further. A nerve twitched under his eye and he let go of my wrist, setting the bottle down. I didn't let my arm fall for whatever reason.

"She just doesn't get it, Anabel. This isn't... All of this is..." He dropped the bandage he had just picked up, letting a shaking hand hit his face. "They're all just so one-dimensional, aren't they? They don't get it. They just don't empathise!" He looked me straight in the eyes and I shivered under his blue stare. "See, I admire you Hazel. 15 and being forced into all of this. I know when I was 15, I was struggling with self esteem and mild anxiety issues. Mentally unstable, still in limbo between becoming an adult and staying a child. And unless my deductions are incorrect, I should think you are the exact same." I nodded. 

"I guess so." The only reason I didn't go into how right he was was because I was too tired. I was utterly exhausted and just wanted him to finish patching me up, go to the stupid meeting and then go to f**king bed. Otherwise I wouldn't have shut up about the things I'm still too scared to share in detail. I guess I expected that Dr. Smith wasn't done, because after I made my small statement, he launched right back into what he had been saying, with a quick nod.

"But they don't ever see it like that. They've put you up on a pedestal, but don't realise you still have to climb to get up to where they think you already are! The psychical and emotional stress to get to that standing plate where they think you are is heavy, weighing you down so much that it many times knocks you off if you ever manage to get there, making it seem only higher up. And whenever you fall, they ridicule you for falling, making the weight heavier to bear..." He picked up the bandage, his face set in an expression. A mixture of sadness, pity and maybe even a little resentment. "And yet you're taking it." He started wrapping up my still suspended arm. "I admire that you're putting up with it all and not letting it get to your head." I giggled.

"That's where you're wrong, buddy." He finished binding my arm with a firm tug that caused me to gasp in pain.

"I knew it! I damn well knew it!" He almost threw my arm down and it landed with a crack I was sure couldn't mean anything good, grabbing the other with a new ferocity. He grabbed the potion bottle and started spraying me again, now frowning so intensely I was certain his irises were turning from blue to red, just like Sia's. "They're going to get you killed, Hazel. They have absolutely no understanding of the meaning of the word 'limits'." He hissed through his teeth.

He was silent the rest of the treatment, angrily focused on me. After he was done he turned away and for a moment I swear the cold ice of his eyes turned dull.

He solemnly handed me an Oran Berry. "Here. I know it isn't the most flavourful of berries, but it should help with any lingering pain." I took it and just sort of held if for a moment, before realising he wanted me to eat it. I took a mindless bite. It was tasteless. "Now go to that meeting... I... I have to go." He walked to the door, but paused right before he went to leave. "Stay safe, Miss Sky." He advised, before disappearing. I ate the rest of the berry and left the lab, feeling drained, dehydrated and even more tired than before.

The meeting was a total blur to me. Anabel said some stuff, Alfred and Looker were there, Gladion looked concerned, Wicke hugged me at some point. I said something, but I was too damn tired to remember any of it, otherwise you'd get at least three pages of that event. But I can't recall it well enough. I was just tired. And I wanted to sleep. The meeting lasted a while, maybe two hours or something, and I was probably asleep for most of it. I know for certain I nodded off a few times while there. All I really remember from the meeting was Looker's grim expression of deduction and calculation tuned to me most of the time and Alfred's horrifically evil stare, eyes as red as what Sia's had been.

When it finished, Anabel, Alfred and Looker all left, shaking their heads in annoyance and resentment, none of them willing to look at me. 

I know they blamed me for what happened to Sia. I know they blamed me for making the mission to retrieve the stolen people fail. I know they blamed me for everything that went wrong on the entire mission. With me at the centre of it, who else was there to blame. Them? Absolutely not. Astrid or Guzma or anyone else involved? Nope. It fell on me, making me feel even more shit about myself. They weren't helping. I was struggling and only a few people were seeing it. Even Dr. Smith, somebody I met and talked to for only half an hour while he treated the slowly infecting cuts on my arms and face, was seeing it. 

But then, how could he not see it with such a piercing gaze?

I knew for certain Astrid and Guzma were seeing. Astrid was worried sick for me, and I knew it was going to take a lot of coaxing to get Guzma to even talk to me again after I went and did what I did, after everything he tried to make me stop and think. He cared a little too much to be honest. Maybe I should have listened to him. I know I should have listened to him. But at the time, I just had to get it done. 

I got the urge to call him, but repressed the feeling. I would do that later. I was too tired to try to talk to him - either try for hours to get him to pick up, or have him pick up just to yell at me for being a huge freaking idiot. I didn't need that.

I thought about Hau. God, how much I thought he would blame me for what happened to Sia. At least in his case, he had a good reason to be mad at me. I thought of how his face fell when he saw only Anabel and I arrive at the docks, Ciaran nowhere to be seen. And how he began crying as Anabel told him the truth. And the glare he sent me as we took the elevator and left him alone. I didn't blame him if he hated me. He would just be another person on the list, but he was a person who deserved to be angry. I let his girlfriend be taken, and be turned into whatever it was Plumeria was turned into.

And then there was Gladion, who helped me get back to Aether Mansion. Who seemed to support me when it suited him and never any other time. Sometimes he was my best friend aside from Astrid. Other times he was more of an enemy than Niekramant. At the time, he was partly a friend and a foe. I was weary. 

But more than that, I was tired.

Almost as soon as I got back to the mansion and to my room, I collapsed on my bed, still wearing my clothes, and was out like an old light.

*

"So it didn't go so well?" Mum asked after I was done explaining what happened on the mission. I know we're not supposed to discuss mission stuff since confidentiality and shit, but...

I was down and I wanted to talk to Mum about it. 

I had gotten plenty of sleep and was feeling better, but I still felt like the world was weighing on my shoulders. I would have to talk to people and do stuff today. Maybe I would have to face Hau. I was just down.

"Yeah. It kinda bombed." I replied.

"Well that's alright. You're trying your hardest and that's what counts." I don't think she really understood the circumstances and that because of this, I only had one more chance to stop the apocalypse and that was on the day it was supposed to happen. 'Trying my hardest' wouldn't stop the apocalypse. 

"I guess... How's everything been at home?"

"Well, Erin came up for a visit so that was nice! Oh! And your father is on leave so when you come home, you'll be able to spend some time with him!" I felt my heart lurch. Dad was home?

"Oh wow! Really?! That's awesome!" I was less than thrilled to know this information.

"I know! He mentioned that they've been getting a lot of new, younger recruits, so he's finally getting some proper time off. Something about a..." I could hear her stop to think. "Sorry, Tiara was being a bitch." Talking about our Purugly. "It's something about an increase in dangerous Pokemon. They're trying to handle it... Does that have to do with your mission thing?"

"Black Pokemon that can't be affected by most hits? That what they're dealing with?"

"Uhh... Yes?"

"I think it might be, then. You'll have to check with him."

"Do you wanna talk to him about it?" My stomach dropped. "If he can get any info about the increase lately, it will help." There some loud thumping of a keyboard. "Oh, f**k off, Theresa. Take the scan and do it yourself for once. It's not gonna kill ya."

"Uhh..." I really didn't want to talk to Dad. "Sure?" Why?! Why did I say that?!

"Okay, I'll pass you over." There was a moment of scuffling and I felt nauseous. Ever since I got that detention in Humanities, he hadn't spoken to me. And now it was over legitimate business? I guess you can say I have a few daddy issues (that'll make a lot more sense soon). I looked around my room. Grillby was sleeping on my laptop on the floor for no reason in particular, so I got up and sat with him, petting his fur until my Dad said,

"You've reached The Sky." He opened in his usual sense. 

"Hello The Cloud." I replied, trying to make light of all this. 

"So, your mother said you might know about these attacks?" I nodded.

"Yeah. I think it's got to do with my mission." I heard him moving in his desk chair. It has a distinct creak, completely unmistakable. I would know. I used to sit there all the time on the computer when I was younger... If only now...

"Well, say what ya know." I gulped. Grillby's ear twitched. He was feeling a bit warmer than before.

"Well..." I explained the minions thing. You already know about minions, so I won't bore you with a repeat... Unlike normal.

"That does sound like the terrestrial teams concerns... But what about the regular Pokemon attacks?"

"So... Regular, everyday Pokemon are attacking too?" I felt even sicker.

"Yeah. That's what I said, boi." He said in a random accent. I pulled at my collar.

"Well... I wouldn't know about that."

"Well, it was nice talking anyway."

"Yeah... See ya?" The phone line had already ended. I dropped my phone and looked back around my room. I felt on edge for yet another unwanted reason. At that moment, there was knock on my door. "Come in." I said, sounding obviously disinterested. The door opened. It was Gladion, as to be expected. He gave me a sheepish smile.

"Hey." He said, leaning against the doorframe. There was something about the way he was looking at me... It was like he was looking at me with pity and sympathy at the same time. Grillby woke up with a yawn and a sneeze.

"Hey." I replied, petting the puppy.

"So, uh... Astrid and I were going to head out with Hau for Malasadas.... Do you want to come with?" I didn't reply for a moment. "Or do you just... Want to sit with Grillby?" I looked up.

"How'd you get Astrid to agree to that?"

"Hau's heartbroken over Sia and she knows that. It was her idea, actually. I'm just going because we can't leave her unsupervised with anything." I gave a sad smile and looked down at my crossed legs. 

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm fine here."

"You sure you want to stay in the mansion alone? We'll be gone for hours. Malasadas are not a casual affair." I hummed a few bars in response. He gave me a look. He's an emo, probably recognised the song. "What if one of those things come back?" I gave Grillby a scratch behind the ear, not taking my eyes off Gladion. "You're missing the point."

"Yeah, I know. The hell's your point?" He looked agitated for a second, then breathed a heavy sigh.

"If one of those things come back and attacks you, we'll lose the world. And we can't afford any of that. We need you in our sights from now on." I gave an annoyed sigh.

"Fine." I said through gritted teeth. I stood up with a grunt, my legs still aching from the mission. I wasn't sure when I would be okay again. The Oran Berries Dr. Smith dropped off for me weren't doing me a huge lot, just making me feel dehydrated. "C'mon Grillby. I'll get ya something spicy." 

*

When we got to the closest Malasada shop, Hau was already there, sadly breaking off pieces of one and passing them over to his Raichu, which kept refusing them and urging him to them instead. This was one of the battles in which Raichu was losing.

"Alola Hau!" Astrid said with a smile, waving. 

"Alola." Gladion also said.

"G'day, mate." I said as any stereotypical Nuholan would do to prank anyone who wasn't one of us. He turned around to see us and grinned back.

"Alola." He said. His enthusiasm was gone and we all felt horrible about that. It hadn't been long, but his smile and energetic mood were gone it was just too out of character to bear. "Care to join me?" He asked, trying to seem at least a little bit like his old self. 

"That's what we're here for." I said with a smile. I was trying my hardest not to appear like a terrible person. I was the reason Sia wasn't around right now, after all. But he, surprisingly, wasn't mad at me or giving me the cold shoulder. He welcomed us at his table and we all ordered. Then it was conversation time.

"So, bananas amiright?" Astrid opened. I snorted. Gladion and Hau both blinked in confusion, though I'm sure they were secretly amused at us already being useless dweebs. 

"Inside joke." I snickered. Hau nodded, smirking a little bit. Gladion still looked very confused. I don't blame him either. "So does anyone else have a better conversation starter?" Astrid's hand shot up. "Does it have to do with death, arson, homicide, genocide, mass murder, lethal injection, guns, poisonous creatures or the manipulation of ones mind to make them remove their own organs to make a death most painful?" She lowered her hand, expression turning sheepish. "That's what I thought." She let out an amused exhale of breath through her nose.

"That last one sounds painful." Hau admitted, taking a sip from his cup of Roserade Tea. Gladion nodded, giving Astrid a stare that indicated true fear.

"She's used that as a conversation starter before?" He asked skeptically, looking the opposite.

"Nah. But we love freaking people out by saying that." At this, Astrid cut the act and let out a deranged but joyful laugh. We'd been planning this kind of conversation for months. And it had gone swimmingly. At this, the mood lightened a lot, with them knowing we were now just pranking them with our slightly psychotic tendencies.

The conversation turned to Pokemon types and evolution sets. It was mostly me making snide remarks, Astrid laughing at my remarks, Gladion doing all the talking and Hau occasionally chuckling at us while he drank his tea. After a short time, the Malasadas and our drinks arrived and it was a feeding frenzy. Astrid fed Matilda and Gladion fed Silvally. I gave my Malasada to Matty, because she was looking a little unhappy since the mission and deserved some well needed attention. The others would get some time out of the hallway then we got back to Aether Paradise, but for now, Matty.

Our first order of Malasadas disappeared within minutes and I had to go up and order us all some more. It all continued and everyone was feeling overall contented. We got back to talking while we ate our own fill and handed some more to our begging Pokemon, this time gushing about how much we all love our Pokemon. We all finished our drinks and ordered more of those, this time leaving our payment as well. Astrid nearly ended up spilling her tea on herself and Matilda, causing us all to laugh.

That's when Hau leaned over to Gladion and whispered something to him. Gladion nodded.

"Hey Astrid. Come with me." He said, standing. Astrid gave him a disgusted look, blooming scarlet. 

"Why?"

"I can hook you up with some Mystic Malasadas for Matilda. She'll love them!" He said, smiling. It was an actually genuine smile and god you could just see how much he liked her in that one smile.

"Deal! But it's for Matilda." Astrid said, standing up. She was still blushing. Gladion looked at me momentarily, giving some eyebrow I didn't really know the meaning of before turning and walking away with Astrid. Maybe it was meant to be a confused look. They were talking about something already and for once it looked like they were getting along. I smiled and turned to Hau, who was staring at his cup emotionlessly. He didn't look up, so I dropped the smile and turned back to my Malasada. 

"I'm not mad, if that's what you're thinking." He said suddenly, startling me a little.

"What?"

"You're acting weird."

"Uhh..."

"I understand what happened during the mission. I know you think I'm stupid, but I'm not. I know it's not your fault, what happened to Ciaran. So, you can stop acting like you owe me something for running instead of getting her out. If it'll reassure you, know that I forgive you... Not that I ever resented you in the first place.." His words caught me off guard, and my reply came off longwinded.

"Yeah, but it's just... You two were so close and I had a chance to save her. But I didn't take it. And I'm so angry at myself, because now saving everyone is going to be so much harder than what it was before and I just... I just keep messing up and making everything worse. And it's my responsibility to be the one to save us all, but I can't. I just can't. I couldn't even save one person. And because I know you love her, I just have to make it up to you while I still have the chance. You know, if I can't save her or the whole freaking world, I just want someone to know that I'm sorry that I can't do it all, and that I'm just human too and humans make mistakes but all my mistakes just have the worst timing. Everybody is so mad at me for screwing up and I'm sorry but nobody understands or is welling to hear me out. I just need one person to know that I'm sorry that I can't do this and I'm sorry that I keep messing up and that... I can't save her." I finally trailed off, realising I had said far more than I needed to, or even should have. I looked up. Hau was staring at me.

"You done?" He asked.

"Yes? No? I don't know. I have a lot I just want to say."

"That's why I got rid of those two." I gasped and blinked a few times. "Gladion's half the reason you're in this position. He's pressuring you... And I mean that in a way that's he's putting too much pressure on you. He just never stops telling you what to do and why you're doing it. And Astrid isn't being the best of help in times like this, when you're struggling so much. I mean, I know she's trying, but she's just a little... Cuckoo. It's not really helping you." I looked down at my lap. "As someone who's felt what it's like to feel the world on your shoulders, I know that the only thing you want to do is give up. Or talk to someone about it. But not to someone who's going to make things worse. You just... Want someone to listen to you. Not even offer advice. Just listen and let you talk it out." He picked up his cup, took a long swig then set it back down, looking over at me. "Look at me, Hazel." I looked back up at him. He gave me another smile. "I know they're those people who will make this all more difficult if you talk about this with them. And I know you want to tell someone about all of this. You even slipped up a little back there. But... If you want to, I'll listen. We still have time while they're gone." I felt myself flush over. 

"Honestly, thank you, but..." 

"Look, I know I've never been part of a prophecy to be the one to save everyone from the apocalypse and 'conquer the daytime dream', so my stresses could never even compare to any of that, but, I know it feels like... Well, it feels like shit, even on a smaller scale." My heart skipped a beat hearing him curse, even a small curse like that. Hau just isn't the kind of person to swear. "But... It's better to just tell someone. If you don't, it just builds up until you either break down in a ball of tears like I did on that park bench six years ago, or you get self destructive and take out everything on yourself, in ways you shouldn't." His stare grew more intense. "Which one is it gonna be?" I stared off into the space behind him, then stared back down at the ground.

Hau grabbed his cup another time, leaning back in his chair. "Also, I'm sorry about Sia's behaviour sometimes. I can tell she doesn't really like you."

"You think?" I muttered with disdain. 

"She's too proud for her own good. She's had some rivals. She's got some scars. She feels like if anyone challenges her, if she doesn't prove she's the better person, she's gonna get hurt. That's what happened with Raibaru. I think she feels challenged by you."

"But why?"

"I don't know. She's just like that." There was a short silence, only interrupted by our Pokemon still munching away. "Which is it going to be?"

"Both probably." I answered honestly. He grinned.

"What about neither?" I laughed.

"In your dreams!" We both laughed. It was one of the first times I felt at peace with everything. It was just Hau and I, joking and talking over Malalsadas. And it was beautiful. "But, I may take you up on that offer."

"I'm listening."

"Well-"

"LOOK WHAT I GOT, MATILDA!" Astrid yelled, breaking what we had going. She was holding a big brown paper bag, which looked like it was about to explode it was so full.

"Mystic Malasadas, fresh from the fryer!" Gladion followed up with a smile. Hau and I laughed at their enthusiasm, as they both started feeding Silvally and Matilda. I watched the dumb antics for a while, when there was a tap on my shoulder. I turned and Hau had moved seats and was now sitting right next to me.

"We'll have that chat later, I should think?" He asked.

"Yeah... Let's just watch the show for now." He grinned again.

"I was thinking of what to call this, and at first I thought 'Blonde Salt'. But after this display, I'm not sure if they're just salty or not."

"Nah. Blonde Salt is perfect... I need that on a shirt."

"You're getting it on a shirt. And so am I."

"We'll have that chat while we make matching shirts?"

"You betcha." He held up his fist and we fist bumped.

This had to be one of nicest afternoons of the whole week.


	9. I wanna fight the sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are happening for real now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FILLER
> 
> I DONT THINK I REALLY GOT THAT
> 
> Also, im not doing anymore censorship.

"HAZEL!" Astrid yelled, bursting through the door with a dramatic thud. 

"WHAT?!" I yelled back, yelling it like I might say it when one of the Houndoom at home bark at me through the screens of a morning before school.

"GRAB THE DESK!" She continued, pointing dramatically at the wall.

"What?" I asked, now confused.

"I said, GRAB THE DESK!" She went on, growing angry.

"Why?" I asked again.

"We're going to prank the tourists." A well placed, cinematic shadow fell over her face as if this was some web cartoon and she uttering about the death that would soon come to take us all. 

"But... We _are_ tourists." I clarified with a know-it-all gesture.

" _They don't know that._ " She said, turning and marching from the room. I blinked at my open doorway a few times and looked around the room. There was no desk in here. What desk was she even talking about? A loud scraping sound followed by annoyed grunting interrupted my train of thought. It was coming from downstairs. 

I quickly flew downstairs and found Astrid dragging a large office desk from one of the few downstairs rooms. She was struggling. With only the knowledge that we were going to prank tourists, I helped her lug the desk out of the mansion and halfway down the entrance until i asked,

"Where are we putting this thing?" I asked through huffs of breath, arms straining.

"The elevator." She grunted in reply.

"Why?" 

"So we can ask them if they have an appointment." She said with an evil grin. It's days like that I remember why I'm best friends with her.

*

"Well I'm sorry ma'am, but if you don't have the proper authentication, you can't visit the conservation level." Astrid said in a voice so serious it was fooling everyone. And most unfortunately, it was definitely fooling these damn Saksans. None of them picked up on her blatantly Nuholan accent, and everything arranged on the desk so neatly made for an extremely convincing disguise.

"B-but, the brochure not say about authentication..." The woman at the front stammered. Astrid gave a cheeky smile.

"They never do, honey. But, I can make an exception for you." She was now smirking like crazy, the smile I know means utter trouble.

"Y-yes! Anything! We travelled so far!" The woman yelled in reply, growing flustered. 

"Just a little payment and you're all good. Only three hundred poke." Three hundred was the number she'd thrown around for the past few people. It isn't really much money in reality. Most of them just stormed off, disgruntled and cursing that bloody receptionist under their breath. But this woman perked up, reaching deep into her purse and pulling out the required amount.

"This enough?" She asked. Astrid smiled and held out a hand. 

"Perfect." She turned and input the code for the conservation level as everyone stood on the elevator platform. I know that blackmailing people into giving us money is a terrible and unethical thing, but God was it fun to see people grow annoyed, or give in mindlessly. Besides, I made Astrid keep the spoils. I got none of it.

I was still very amused at the fact that somehow, we weren't spotted dragging this thing into the damn elevator in the first place. Nobody saw us. Remarkable.

The group dispersed once we reached the conservation level and Astrid turned to me for a high five. I gladly smacked her hand. "Isn't this so much fun?!" She yelled at me in excitement. "AND we're getting paid, too!" She leafed the money with a contented expression. "This is way better than waiting around for the apocalypse." She continued, making my posture grow stiff behind her chair. Why did she have to bring that up? This entire thing we were doing was to take out minds off of that while we had the chance.

"I know right... Okay but if it's a solar eclipse, why don't we just like... Fight the sun or something?" I asked, the tone of every Tumblr shitpost out there. She gasped and swivelled in the chair.

"Dude, when we're done here, we so have to do that." I nodded, grinning.

"Yes we fucking do." We high fived again.

"What the hell is this?" We heard a familiar voice say, turning to see Gladion holding a clipboard, looking very unimpressed with us. 

"Oh yes. Mr. President. How lovely to see you." Astrid was back in character in a second. I straightened my back, back to pretending to be the well mannered servant. A well mannered servant with a bandaid on her cheek and bandages on her arms exposed by her dirty purple t shirt. Yep. Well mannered servant for sure.

"Sky, what is going on?" He asked, sounding the most unimpressed he had ever been.

"Don't look at me. Ask the receptionist. I'm just the Pearl." He looked confused. I let out a snort as I held back my laughter. This. This was why we were doing this.

"Rivers, what are you doing?"

"What's the password?" Holy shit, she went there.

"What?"

"Tell me the password, and I'll let you go to whatever level you need to."

"Sky, what's the password?" He then asked me.

"I dunno man. Master doesn't tell me this shit." I replied.

"Rivers, seriously." He then went on. She smirked.

"Or what?"

"Or I'll... You lose access to the fridge." Her face didn't change, even though I knew it probably got her hard.

"Just tell me the password. You should know this."

"Astrid if you don't let me through right now, I'm going to tell everyone you have a magikarp on your team." He threatened.

"Having a Magikarp on my team is nothing to be ashamed of." Astrid retaliated. I continued choking down my laughter. Oh this, was good. Gladion's face was god damned priceless.

"Astrid!" He shouted. She simply smiled back at him. "You little shit." He muttered, but it was obvious. He wasn't trying to hide the comment at all. He wanted her to hear him call her that. "I have an important meeting to go to. Let me through now!" She smiled again.

"Wrong answer. You get three guesses for the password." His expression dropped. He was so done with both of us. But he complied.

"Is the password, 'Hazel is the light of my life'? Considering you made the password, I wouldn't put it past you." Astrid shook her head.

"Nope. But that would have been a good one."

"Chicken nuggets?"

"Nope."

"Something to do with those murder tactics you two were discussing as a conversation starter at the Malasada Shop yesterday?"

"Which tactic?"

"Uhh... The one about removing ones own organs?" Astrid promptly imitated a buzzer noise.

"Dead wrong! Access denied!" She clicked a code to another floor and we were off, leaving Gladion looking bewildered... And really, really angry. As we passed the entrance floor, we both burst into hearty laughter. That had been the best one yet. 

We picked up a few more tourists and earned ourselves six hundred more poke. Most of the stops prevailed annoyed people just like Gladion. Eventually, we ended up on the laboratory level (by my hand, since Astrid isn't allowed access down there). A familiar head of ocean blue caught my attention, sprinting from the door that led to the research and inventions department. Dr. Smith looked up as the elevator stopped, and his previous expression of frustration and concentration faded to confused.

"What?" For someone who speaks as eloquently as he, I was expecting more than just that. We must've had him dumbfounded.

"Ah. Hello there. Password for elevator access." Astrid chirped. Man, she was not prepared.

"Excuse me, but I have just found a major lead in the search for Niekramant that will be fatal to the continuation of Mission: Necromancer. It is imperative you let me through to speak with Agent Ace." Yep, there was his mannerisms. I tried not to think about how ugly and angry Alfred had looked during the meeting. I hated thinking about the fact that Alfred and Dr. Smith worked together. I hated one already, and didn't know what to make of the other.

I looked up from the desk as I felt those blue eyes drill into my skull. Astrid still hadn't said anything. The three of us waited. Finally, Astrid spoke.

"Yeah, alright. But you gotta say the password to go." The man's fist clenched hard and he flourished his lab coat. 

"I do not know who you are, but I should let you know that Monday's events are going to leave a major impact on you as well as the entirety of this world's population, to catastrophic extents. Considering that Miss Sky is by your side, I should deduct that you are both in some kind of relationship. If you are unaware, Hazel is the leader of this mission, and unless I can inform my coconspirators of what I have discovered, then she will be blind when the day comes that she will save you, myself and everyone that lives in this world from, what I have found, will be a gruesome and undead end. Have I made myself clear, or do I need to explain again?" Astrid looked taken aback by the paragraph he had just rattled off to us. His glare had turned to her now, and I could see she was sweating.

A moment of silence.

"Where would you like to go, sir?" She said, sounding very uncomfortable. With that, Dr. Smith flounced onto the platform, adjusting his coat with agitation.

"Entrance level. I will navigate from there, thank you very much." She sent us off. He looked me over. I might have started sweating under his stare. It's undeniable; those eyes. "Have you changed those bandages?" He asked, seeing they were a little tattered. I shook my head no. "I advise you change them and clean your arms. Leaving those on for too long could do more damage than you need." I nodded. By then, we had arrived at the entrance level. He gave Astrid a death stare before running off, calling someone's name, as if to flag them down. Astrid turned to me, looking traumatised.

"WHAT. THE. FUCK?" She asked, rather intensely. I shrugged.

"What are you 'what the fuck'ing about?" I asked.

"HIS EYES. OH MY GOD." I nodded.

"Yeah. He's kinda scary. Likes to stare a lot. But he's nice if you talk to him long enough... Or just, listen to him ramble for a while." I hesitated. "Yesterday was a long day." I finished. She gave a single nod.

"YEAH." 

"Do you wanna give this up for a while and go back to the mansion? Maybe catch up on bnha or something?" She nodded vigourously. "Come on then." 

**

I was watching My Hero Academia at the time this next part happened. 

In another part of Aether Paradise, the leading draft doctor had found his way to the office of a highly regarded field officer. He slammed the door to the office open. Before Alfred could say a word, Dr. Smith had his essay prepared. He had to tell him what he had found. 

"Agent Ace! I have critical information that could leave significant impacts on Mission: Necromancer! Just earlier this today, I was conversing with a Diamond agent to gather whatever information possible about the Alter of Shadows; shadow irregularities, energy pulses, minion appearances, increased pathogen activity, disappearances, temperature influxes and so on. The report she gave me details that: shadow activity has shown differing shapes, strange energy that has made Pokemon aggressive and even sickly has plagued SnowPoint city for close to a week now, which could be linked to the pathogen activity, but this is not confirmed. It also states that temperature influxes have shown on the alter, causing the city to go into a temporary blizzard. Minion sightings have continued in Kanto, Johto, Sinnoh, Unova, Nuholani, Ellada and Solria. No more disappearances have been recorded since the last major attack. No sign of Niekramant has been tallied as of yet. Agent Anabel's report of the field investigation yielded the same results - we have no idea where it may be."

"But something that has struck me as odd is that the report includes the exact energy influxes, every temperature change, dated recordings of minion sightings, tallies, so on. It just strikes me as odd. It is all pointing to an increase. We have already hypothesised that Niekramant will make another appearance at the alter on eclipse day. We have already hypothesised that the minions will leave their territory and invade our known world. But... It is all pointing to something much worse. They are smart. The minions, yes, will leave their territory to find humans. But the Lost Souls will stay behind. They will guard the prisoners. Those who go after the kidnapped are still going to be in danger. And, from my research, it appears that... We were wrong. On eclipse day, it will not just be the places affected by the eclipse that are attacked. Nowhere is safe. Unless Hazel can... No. Unless Niekramant is defeated within the eclipse itself, we are doomed. Every single life on this planet is lost. This was all for nothing."

"Look, did you actually look at the prophecy?! The battle Hazel already went through was not the one the prophecy spoke of! It speaks of Monday! The eclipse of ages! It has been centuries since Sinnoh experienced a total solar eclipse! The daytime dream! A time in which everything is cast in a dreamlike shadow! When anything is possible! Even a paradox. Where instead of the girl with a dog of fire by her side and armour on her eyes defeating the God of necromancy, the god of necromancy makes her a lost soul in its army of lost soldiers. Even a paradox where we as a mission mess up and introduce the flame to Niekramant before the required date! I am saying, we did not do this right the first time! There should not have been a first time! We cannot fix our mistakes! The fact is, Giratina created something unstoppable! It had us all doomed from the start. As soon as Hazel stepped on that alter the first time, we lost all of our chances of surviving the prophecy. The Great War has nothing against this. It is the Rapture we all feared."

"And lastly, I have found one last thing. The pathogen that President Gladion gave to Mistress Wicke Lockhart... I could only find two things about it in my analysis. Firstly, it surrounds every minion. If, by some stroke of luck, we manage to destroy Niekramant and its minions and evade certain demise, it will have spread far and wide. The amount of minion activity indicates that it already has spread, but eclipse day will bring far more than can be reasonable. There is no stopping that. The second thing I found out is obscure. I don't know what this means but... It is dangerous. If I wanted a proper analysis of its symptoms, impacts and so on, I would require assistance from Lillie Aether, but as we know, she was the second victim taken by the minions. All I could find on my own was that; this pathogen cannot find its way into the public more than it already has. More than it will on eclipse day. It has the power to bring us down, in ways much different to a direct minion attack. In other words, if the bomb does not kill you, the radiation sickness will."

"I am sorry, Agent Ace. But this entire mission is for nothing. We messed up before. There is no taking back our mistakes. And no matter what, we will be brought down. Be it that... Hazel is killed during the eclipse and we are left to the minions and the darkness, or whatever the pathogen will do to us once it increases to irreversible amounts after eclipse day... We have no chance. All... All is lost."

Finally, Dr. Smith stopped talking, taking deep breathes. He had said what he had needed to. Unfortunately, his efforts weren't worth much. Alfred immediately followed up with this:

"You really think you're going to fool us with that talk, John? That's a bunch of stupid jargon and you know it!"

"What?! No! Agent Ace, you have to hear me out, you have to tell everyone! This mission is futile!"

"I don't care! I don't care if you say this is all useless! I know you! You should have been locked up in the nuthouse eighteen years ago! Nobody, including me, is going to listen to anymore of your bullshit!" The doctor fell back on one foot, hurt by the other man's words. "This mission is happening whether you like it or not! This world is getting saved, _whether you like it **or not**_!"

"At least stop Hazel from facing it! She deserves far better than what any of you are giving her! She is but a teenager! A child! She deserves to live a life with her family and her friends, not being forced to face the god of necromancy and given a prophecy to follow and spend all of her days living in constant fear of messing up and having the whole world crumble because of it!" Alfred looked disgustedly at Dr. Smith. "She has the whole world in her shoulders, Agent Ace! Take the weight off of her! She deserves so much better! Stop treating her like she can handle it! She is just a child!" It was then that Alfred stood up and launched a shaking fist directly into John Smith's nose. 

Dr. Smith fell back, landing on the ground painfully, gripping a now bleeding nose. He shivered from pain and shock, tears pricking in his vibrant eyes, which for a moment, went dull under Alfred's bloodlust filled stare.

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT WHAT HAZEL FEELS! WHO CARES IF SHE THINKS THE WOLRD IS ON HER SHOULDERS?! IF YOU HAVEN'T FIGURED IT OUT YET, IT IS ON HER, JOHN!! SHES GOING ON MONDAY! THE MISSION IS GOING AS PLANNED ON MONDAY! NONE OF YOUR STUPID FUCKING CONSPIRACIES ARE GONNA CHANGE ANY OF THIS!" Alfred kicked the other man hard in the stomach for good measure (fucking arsehole). "Get the fuck out of my office." He said with gritted teeth, sitting back behind his desk. Dr. Smith struggled to his feet, now clutching his bleeding nose and an abdomen that ached like the rupture of an appendix. He stumbled to the door, gripping the knob, but turning back to Alfred one last time. 

"Fine. But remember, even if we succeed in killing that thing, the battle isn't over."

"I said get out, John."

"Promise me that if she survives and kills it, you won't bring her into the aftermath battle?"

"Get. Out." He staggered out on command, removing his hand from his face to see just how badly he was losing blood. He grimaced at the sight, but staggered to the elevator, where he got the attention of many people. He ignored them and took himself to the basement level and had Wicke help him out. As he sat, Sitrus Berry in hand, he let out a sigh.

"I pray for us all, friends. But most of all, I pray for her." He sighed again. "Truly.. Truly, Mistress Sky deserves better than this."

Not long after he was let go from the labs, I was told it was imperative Gladion and I had to leave for Sinnoh as soon as possible. I had no idea what happened to Dr. Smith. He never told anyone what happened until much later on. I had no idea that Alfred knew exactly what happened.

You know, at the time all of this happened, I had so little respect for Alfred already. But recently, writing all of this out and finding out what happened to Dr. Smith and knowing that he had this predicted since before the eclipse...

I just really fucking hate Alfred.

Because he never told us any of what Dr. Smith said. Because he never warned us. Because he never confessed to hurting John.

And because of reasons you don't even know about yet.

**

It was Saturday. We had that day to finish, then another day to eclipse day.

"You're both stupid! Don't go! It's fucking stupid! You're heading directly into danger! Can't we just fight the sun?!" Astrid yelled in protest as we waited at the docks. Our ferry to Sinnoh would be arriving soon. She still wasn't too happy over the fact that she couldn't go, especially when I was heading straight into the danger, and she wasn't. She wanted to be there and 'kick death shadows arse!' but we had talked her into staying in Alola for the rescue component of Mission: Necromancer.

"If anything, we should be fighting the moon, Rivers." Gladion replied, shifting the hood of his jacket on his shoulders. "It's the moon blocking the sun that's creating the umbra."

"Yeah yeah, whatever science boy." She rolled her eyes and kicked some pebbles off the ground into the ocean. "I'm just saying, there's gotta be another way!" She yelled as small ripples expelled from the impact.

"I've discussed it countless times; we can't do anything else about this. This is our only option." Gladion furthered.

"Yeah, well it seems pretty useless to me."

"It's saving the world, actually."

"Do you ever shut up?" He promptly did, looking a little flustered. Astrid smirked smugly and kicked at the ground again, sending more rocks into the water. "So like, what'll happen if you don't do it?" Gladion went to speak, but I caught the answer for him, so she wouldn't have to keep snapping at him.

"The apocalypse. That's what'll happen." My heart thudded a little harder when I said it. The apocalypse is literally the worst thing in the mind of an anxious person. That and comprehending eternity. Or what happens after death. Or why...

I'll stop there.

"Oh." That's all she had to say. She kicked at the ground again. We fell silent. "Where's Hau?" 

"Still sulking, I think." I answered.

"I don't blame him. It was all pretty sudden. He has every right to still be upset. I'd be upset too if I was that close to her... Only, it was Sia who rid me of what we had..." He glared at the ground guiltily. He then sighed and straighten his hunched back. "Still, if I were him." Gladion continued.

"Were you three in a poly relationship or something? You constantly say..." Astrid asked.

"For a time, yes. We were. But I've gotten over it and Sia." There was silence again.

"Do you still like..." I asked, cutting myself off before the final word. But he understood and nodded. 

"A little." He sighed. "But I'm moving on. Ive..." He glanced over at Astrid, who thankfully had her back turned at that moment. "I've found someone else." I saw her smirk a little.

"Well, whoever that lucky person is, they're in for a ride." She was blushing, I know she was. "I mean, a ride of you spouting bullshit and being the absolute worst!" I couldn't hold back my laughter. That was a cover up if I've ever seen one. Even Gladion chuckled a little. "WHAT?!" She screamed at us, flustered as hell. I staggered over to her, covering my mouth. I leaned over to her to reply, keeping it on the down low so she wouldn't feel the need to bitch-slap me.

"Could you be any less of a tsundere? That was so obvious." I struggled to whisper through breaths. She grabbed the collar of my shirt.

"Tell him and I will have your arse." 

"Don't worry - you're doing just fine on your own." The bitch-slap got me on the cheek. It was totally worth it. I was already back to giggling, covering my mouth self consciously with every stupid, deep laugh that came up. Gladion walked over to us, his face pink, smirking in a genuine way. 

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Astrid, but you're a sucker for dragon types?" She nodded, brow furrowing.

"What's it to you, tall arse?" His smile broadened and he threw a pokeball from his pocket. In a flash of light, a Pokemon burst from it, roaring. Astrid's eyes grew wide and she made a strange drawn out gasping sound. 

"Woah." I muttered, looking at the beast. It was a Silvally - one of the only two around. 

"Mains in Dragon and Fire types. After it evolved and broke its mask, it gave me full allegiance. Most loyal creatures you could have." I gave an offended cough and scoffed at his attempts to impress Astrid, proceeding to say,

"I beg to fucking differ." I threw my Ultra Ball and Grillby stood before the Silvally. "Grillby beats loyalty anyday." If he could smile, I'm sure Grillby would have. Instead, he strut up to Silvally, bapped its chest with a paw and strut back over to me, nuzzling my leg in that way. You know the way. He was showing off to make Silvally jealous, which was frankly hilarious.

I'm so proud of my son.

Even Astrid had to hold back a snort. Gladion's face tensed up in a way that I knew he was refraining from hurting me and probably Grillby too. The competition wasn't going in his favour.

"Alright, fine. Grillby is the most loyal creature you could have." Gladion corrected, stroking Silvally like a villain in a swivel chair would pet a black cat.

"That I could have. Nobody else meddles with my Pokemon. Especially with the likes of you two." Astrid was now snorting from holding back on laughter. Gladion was giving the harshest of glares.

"Nobody asked for that, Sky." He said with an aggravated huff. I smiled and pet Grillby's head tuft. The sound of Astrid's muffled laughter made the situation even more amusing. The onlookers must've been having the time of their damn lives watching whatever was going on. Only, fun can only last for so long.

"Ferry 27 departing for Sinnoh in five minutes. All aboard." Then came the customary goodbyes. I wrapped Astrid into a tight hug.

"I love you." I muttered, pulling her tight into my chest. She in turn put her arms around me.

"I love you too." She muttered back. I didn't want to let go. The last thing I wanted to do was let go. I wished time could freeze then and there. I would never have to go on with this. I would never have had to go through anything else. I could just stay there with her in my arms.

She broke it, solidifying reality. We would be leaving. For Sinnoh. To stave off the apocalypse at its core.

We boarded the boat. The boat left the docks. I waved to Astrid for what I knew in my heart would be the last time, until I found no longer see her on the beach. Until Alola simply became a silhouette on the horizon line. I looked around at the other people who had boarded with us, trying to distract myself from the tears that were brimming in my eyes. I couldn't let go of the conversation we were having not that long ago. I would never talk to her again. I counted the people

A brunette girl in a miniskirt, surrounded by shopping bags, avidly texting on her phone. A couple of lovebirds, sitting by the railing and watching the oceans waves go by, holding hands and talking quietly. A man in a long brown coat, similar to Looker's, had a hat pulled over his eyes and face, concealing his features as he silently slept. I must say, he was the smartest of us. Sleeping the entire way there. 

I wish I could have been like him. Sleeping. Not a care in the world. Just a dreamscape. And no more.


	10. Sinnoh Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's back to Sinnoh and the threat of Monday is looming over me as if it already was that day. But it's not all that bad. I get to reunite with an old buddy of mine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 9, 10 and 11 were all for some reason in progress at the same time. So I finished at pretty much the same time as the previous chapter. Hey, you waited long enough for chapter 9 to come out so why not get this one nice and early? This chapter isn't all plot heavy or anything. It's the filler I intended last chapter to be. 
> 
> But that's fine because the next two chapters are gonna get pretty fucking hectic. Umbras and Penumbras is beginning to close, my friends.
> 
> But Hazel's story is far from over.

Thankfully, this time around, the docks were at SnowPoint City, so it wasn't any problem of getting to our destination. There weren't many people at the docks, just a family that was clearly waiting for the girl wearing the miniskirt. It was beautiful to watch them welcome her home. Almost heartwarming. The lovebirds sprinted off in excitement, ready for an adventure in new lands. The man with the coat got up finally, placed his hat upon his head and walked away. Nobody was waiting for him. He spoke to nobody. My best guess is that he was a nomad. I never saw his face. He walked in the shadows.

Gladion and I quickly made our way through the snow, which was now falling, to our hotel. Last time I was here, it had been the first time I had seen snow. But this was the first time seeing snowfall and I was promptly excited. Gladion told me it wasn't anything I should concern myself with, because it was a discomfort to be in such cold and we weren't really dressed for the weather. I reminded him that being in Niekramant's presence is even colder, since it's as cold as death, but he disregarded that comment. We made it to our hotel in not much time and stumbled in the front door like drunk goats. We were both very tired.

"HAZEL, GET OVER HERE, YA LITTLE SHIT!!" Someone shouted and I automatically perked up. I knew that accent. I didn't actually have to go over there, because in no less than a second, Guzma had bowled me over and I was having the life squeezed out of me in a bear hug. Best fucking bear hug ever. After a few of my ribs cracked and I was losing consciousness, he dropped me. I landed gasping for breath. "Y'ALL'RE NO GOOD SHITHEADS WHO CAN'T FIND THE SEND TEXT BUTTON ON SMS!" He continued very quickly, turning away and refusing to look at me. He had his arms crossed, stiff posture and angry white girl expression. That was a change in pace from literally almost killing me with a hug.

"Well excuse me for being busy." I replied, adjusting my glasses.

"Oh yeah? With what?" He asked, giving all the sass of a teenage white girl like myself. He really was learning. So proud.

"I was washing my hair." I snarkily replied. Gladion looked unimpressed already.

"Right. Cause y'all need to maintain those precious golden locks, don't ya?" Guzma drawled, apparently playing along, or not understanding what sarcasm was. I hoped it was the former.

"Yes, actually! Maintaining my precious golden locks is part of my very complicated ritual! Besides, at least I know the basics of hygiene, unlike you!" At that he turned around, the funniest glare I've ever seen a human muster on his face.

"Y'all really want to go there?"

"Bitch, I just went."

"Are we gonna have to take this outside?!"

"SETTLE THIS WITH A POKEMON BATTLE?!"

"Oh for the love of Helix, WOULD YOU TWO SHUT UP?!" Gladion interrupted abruptly, literally pushing us away from each other. He looked angrier than I'd ever seen him, and I won't unsee the way he looked when he was 14. 

"Only if she does." Guzma finished, shooting me another glare. I poked my tongue out at him. Are we five? Yes. Immature, I know. But this was too much fun. I didn't get much fun anymore. And I was getting a hilarious reaction out of it all.

"We don't have time for this. We need to put our stuff in our room and get to the meeting."

"Meeting?" I asked, as oblivious as always. I never paid attention anymore.

"We've got to go to some online conference somewhere outside of the city. We need to better discuss the mission, now that we're almost to it." Gladion explained, walking to the front desk. As he checked us in to a room, Guzma and I started bickering again.

"Just saying, I would totally beat you in a Pokemon battle."

"Bullshit. Ah'd beat y'all any day."

"You wanna bet?"

"A thousand poke?"

"Ten hyper potions?"

"Tickets to see Be More Chill?"

"You're playing with fire that you can't even afford."

"Y'all're on."

"You're asking for it." 

"Okay, seriously. Stop." Gladion once again interrupted, spinning our key on its ring. "Let's go." 

"We're takin this outside, y'know that right?" Guzma asked as we started walking.

"Oh, I know we are." I answered, smirking.

"Guys." Gladion again. We piled into the elevator, annoyed at the cramped space with our bags. Well, my bags. They only had like, one... I don't think Guzma even had anything except himself, but whatever. I was very tempted to make some snarky remark, but I was sure I would be smacked by Gladion.

We reached our floor and piled back out, grabbing our things and walking to our room. 

"Who even likes pink gummies? They're the worst!" Guzma suddenly said, flicking my ear. 

"Says the guy who only eats the green ones!" I retorted. "I don't judge your strange eating habits, so don't concern yourself with mine!" I could feel Gladion getting ready to deck us both in the face.

"God, y'all are insufferable! Ya walk around, eatin the pink ones and thinkin yall're so fuckin good!"

"At least I don't look the hunchback of Notre Dame when I do it!"

"Oh, ya didn't just open that can a worms."

"I'm still holding the can opener; read it and weep, motherfucker."

"I WILL LITERALLY KICK YOU TWO OUT OF THE ROOM IF YOU KEEP GOING LIKE THIS!" Gladion shouted as we reached our room. He unlocked the door with so much grace and aggravation, he could have been one of those crazy rejected singers on Unovan Idol. He opened the door, stormed in and threw himself onto the closest bed, muttering the whole way. I think I caught a 'I'm dealing with two five year olds' somewhere in his babbling. Guzma and I both stepped in, smirking at Gladion's reaction to all our bullshit. I closed the door and we took whichever bed we saw first. I was opening my trainer bag and checking my poke balls when Guzma spoke again.

"Okay, but seriously kiddo." He said, much less aggressive now than before. I turned around and he was standing all of a metre away. "Ya... Ya really... Ya really had me worried back there." He finally stammered, for once refusing to make eye contact with me.

"Why? I told you over and over, I was fine." 

"Then why're those on your arms?" I was confused when he said that. Why would he... It hit me like a ton of bricks. I lifted my arms. He grabbed my wrist and inspected the bandages on my arms, but not in a weird way. More concerned. "These're here because ya hurt yourself on the mission?" He asked, adjusting his sunglasses further back on his forehead. I nodded.

"Why wouldn't they be?" I knew exactly why.

"Well, ah figured..." He trailed off. He was figuring me out by now. Gladion looked up at that moment. Again, not angry, just concerned. Even he knew what Guzma was about to say. But the poor guy was choking on it. "Never mind." He let go of my wrist. 

"You thought I hurt myself and blatantly tried to hide it, didn't you?" I asked. God, why did I ask that? Why couldn't I just let the silence drag? Gladion cringed and looked at Guzma, definitely worried now if he wasn't before. Guzma was completely refusing to make eye contact. Gladion's phone made a loud ping and he occupied himself with that before Guzma had even answered.

"Yeah." He finally mustered, voice softer than the rains during winter.

"You need to stop worrying about me." The mood changed very quickly after that.

"What? Not worry about ya? Y'all get trapped in all sorts a shit! If someone doesn't keep an eye on ya, who knows what ya'd get into! If someone doesn't worry, y'all do the worryin!" The way he said it was uplifting. Then he did something unexpected. He hugged me again, but this time wasn't bent on killing me in the process. It was the nice kind I remembered from when I'd left for the term. "Ah missed ya, kid." He said. I wanted to make a sassy remark, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. We hadn't seen each other in a while, and the things that happened in that time had made it more difficult. That mission, that he tried so hard to stop me from going into...

I hugged him back.

"I missed you too." 

*

"So, when are we going to this thing?" I asked Gladion, who was lying on his bed in a very causal way, texting someone.

"Apparently, it got cancelled until a later time. So we have a few hours." He replied.

"What? So all that urgency that we needed to go is just..." I made a 'whoosh' noise. He nodded and tapped at his screen a few more times. Well, that was that done. I looked over his shoulder. "Who you texting? Your girlfriend?" I asked cheekily.

"Wait, he has a girlfriend? When'd that happen? How? This asshole?" Guzma asked from behind us, sounding very surprised.

"Her name is Astrid." I answered, really feeling in the mood for making fun of someone. In fact, I was in the mod to do anything but mission related stuff. Gladion turned as red as a Cheribi and dropped his phone. He proceeded to slap me in the arm.

"SHE IS NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!" He screeched, hitting me a second time for good measure.

"Yet." I added, walking away from his corner and over to mine, hoping to escape another slap.

"Oh, fuck. Ya got him there." Guzma said as I passed him and he held up a hand for a high five. I gladly accepted it. I slouched onto my bed, smiling with what I knew was a shit eating grin right at Gladion, who was still bright red and glaring at me.

"And, for the record, I was talking to mother, not my nonexistent girlfriend."

"About what?" I asked, grabbing my own phone from my bag.

"She's getting restless about Lillie, and I can see why. I'm with her. We're..." He leaned back and brushed his face. "We're worried about her. And..." There was a long pause. "How was she faring when you saw her?" When he finally asked it, his question caught me off guard. The state she was in wasn't really the first thing on my mind when I saw her the first time, because my god, attractiveness runs in the Aether family.

"Well, you heard what I already said. They were in rooms of five people, tied up to... Pillars, I think describes it best. They looked pretty tired, but I don't think they were being attacked or anything. But you could tell they'd already done whatever they could to try and escape their ropes, just to no avail."

"So... She's okay?"

"Yeah. If being tied to a pillar for something like a month is considered 'okay'." Gladion fell back completely this time and sighed.

"She better be okay, or I'm going to hurt you. Badly." I gestured at the arm he hit.

"You already got me there." Guzma promptly snorted at my remark.

"Am I allowed to set you on fire then? If Lillie isn't okay? Can I just set you alight?"

"I'm not a witch, so no. You aren't allowed to burn anyone who isn't a witch. And you aren't allowed to burn if you aren't a witch hunter. That's how it works."

"Witch hunter?"

"Read Good Omens. Newt Pulsifer is a great one." I was proud to finally make that fucking reference. I'd been waiting since I finished the book the previous year.

"Wait! Fire! That reminds me!" Guzma suddenly blurted out, disregarding my amazing in text referencing without a second freaking thought. He turned to the bag that he had actually brought along with him and started digging around in it. After a moment, he pulled something from it and stood up, walking over to me. He placed something in my hands. "Take it as a token of our unwarranted, nonsensical and... Frankly really weird friendship." It was a Fire Stone.

"Oh wow. Th-thank you!" I stuttered. I wasn't used to surprise gifts, especially not from people like him. I looked at it for a moment. Shimmering amber colour, evenly cut aside from a strange looking chip on the corner. "But, what am I-" he cut me off.

"Figured Grillby might like it. Ah mean, it's my fault this shit is happenin. It's all cause ah took him from ya. Y'know, he'll want to evolve sooner or later. Just, use that." The stone got warmer in my hands. This was... Actually really nice. I really hadn't expected a gesture like that from him.

"How bout we test that now?" I asked, grabbing my ultra ball from my trainer bag. He grinned.

"That's more like it!" Gladion sat straight up at hearing the commotion we were making.

"Wait. Here? Now? What if it really does evolve and explodes in a fiery evolution? We'll burn the building to the ground!" I was already not listening. I clicked the ball open and out came Grillby. He jumped into my lap, tail wagging.

"Hello there!" I said in that dopey way I always address Grillby. "Aren't you just the cutest little boy? Yes you are!" He was already being too affectionate IT WAS TOO MUCH! "Now, Grillby, sit." He jumped off me and patiently sat on the ground. I got down on the ground and suddenly he was growling.

"What's that for?" Gladion asked. 

"What's wrong?" I asked the Pokemon. Grillby turned his head towards Guzma, growling. "I don't think he's doing that to lower your defence. That sounds like a 'fuck off' kinda growl. You might want to stand back." 

"What's got his tail?" He asked, sounding almost like he was about to growl right back.

"You kinda took him from me, held him captive then proceeded to drag me into things that messed with my mental health and since he is loyal to me and only me, he is obliged to hate you for that." I turned to Grillby and gently stroked him. "It's okay boy. He's a friend. He won't hurt me and he won't hurt you again. You don't need to be angry. Besides, didn't you give him a break for a while? Why now?" If Grillby could have shrugged, I'm pretty sure that's what he did. He makes no sense. Even I don't know he was suddenly like 'must protect master from that bastard'.

I grabbed the Fire Stone again and set it in front of him. "Now, I know this an important decision. Evolution isn't all it's cracked up to be. So, I don't want to force you to do anything you don't want to. But, if you want to become an Arcanine and be even stronger," I nudged the stone forward, "then go ahead." Grillby looked down at the stone for a long harsh moment. You could feel the tensity in the air, the dramatic strings orchestra playing over us as we waited for him to make that fateful decision.

Then he yipped at me and leapt into my arms, right over the stone. He didn't want to evolve. "So you just want to be a Growlithe for a little bit longer?" A wagging tail told me a yes. Gladion deflated in what I can only assume was relief. He wouldn't have to deal with paying off a lawsuit for burning down the hotel. Guzma looked a little puzzled, but didn't say anything for some reason.

A long time later, after Grillby had been put back in his ball and we were all killing time before the meeting, he decided to ask.

"Why didn't he take it?" He asked, staring at the Ultra Ball I hadn't bothered to put away.

"Whadda you mean?" At the time, I didn't really get where he was coming from. Plus he had interrupted me in the middle of a particularly enveloping episode of a show, so I wasn't all there when he asked.

"Ah mean, Pokemon don't just deny evolution. Ya give 'em a stone, they touch it and that's that. Why didn't he do it?" He questioned, looking like a confused dog. I closed my laptop.

"I don't like forcing Pokemon to evolve, unless of course they just do it by levelling up. Hell, when I caught Flare Mane, I didn't name him straight away. I let him chose between three stones. It's by chance that he touched the Fire Stone I had back then. I even said 'if you don't want to do this, you don't have to. Just wait until your ready'. He just, touched it. It wanted to to evolve. It wanted to be a Flareon. Then I saw the name rater and got it changed to be a little more fitting." Gladion looked slightly stunned at my explanation. Guzma could only nod. All he could say in reply was,

"Fair."

A few hours passed and Gladion got a text from a man I hate. He turned to Guzma and I, who had isolated ourselves in the corner with a half arsed blanket fort while we continued watching Voltron. Well, he watched - I was half asleep and cuddling my pillow.

"We need to get going." He opened the door to our room and was outside in a second, waiting for us. I closed my laptop and groaned into the pillow. Guzma dragged me out of the room by the wrist, muttering me prompts to stay awake. We left the hotel and trudged through the snow for a while, reaching a really small village hidden amongst the snow that was falling much harder than when we had arrived at the docks. 

Gladion led us to a small and weirdly shaped building, pressing a strange code into the key on the door, opening the door and showing us inside. It was pretty bland, just a table and a few chairs beside an insulated, lit fireplace. But it was really warm, so I dragged a chair near the fire and curled up there. "The meeting is going to start in fifteen minutes." Gladion muttered, pulling out his tablet and setting it on the table. He wrestled with a struggling wifi network and brought up something I was certain he had to jailbreak his iPad to get into. But, after a few minutes of mucking around, the screen lit up and a hologram projected straight from it.

A few faces showed up in the slightly pixelated hologram. Gladion waved at them, sitting down in one of the chairs. "Present for the meeting sir." Guzma sat in the chair beside him and beckoned me away from the fireplace. I dragged my chair back over, having nearly fallen asleep to the sound of crackling fire. We waited a few minutes, many more people joining the hologram. I recognised a few faces in there, though some were entirely new. Before I knew it, the meeting began. Alfred took it upon himself to open up the topic and introduce everyone at the meeting.

"As you all know, I am Agent Ace: Alfred Paigen, Head of Field Investigation and Mission Planning for Mission: Necromancer. With me: Representing Field Investigation: Agent Looker and Agent Anabel. Representing the DIAMOND alliance: President Lusamine Aether. Representing the Diamond Alliance Research Team: Diamond Agent 'Flourite': Tanya Adams. Representing the Aether Foundation Research Team: Doctor John Smith. Representing the Rescue Team: Kahuna Hau Kalili. Representing the Sinnoh Offense Team: President Gladion Aether and Conspirator Guzma Palakiko. Representing the Regional Protection Team: Diamond Agent 'Carnelian': Candy Robinson. Representing our future: Mission Leader Hazel Sky. We don't have long to go until eclipse day, so it is now that we will make our official plan of attack."


	11. Eclipse Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just like I expected, everything is going downhill.

I can say with confidence that I remember next to nothing from that meeting. A lot of it wasn't concerned with me, surprisingly. There was a lot to do with the mission in ways that didn't concern me or the Offense team. There was a lot of discussion on the research stuff, the team that would infiltrate the fortress and break out the captured prisoners and on what the Diamond Alliance would be doing in their differing regions to protect the general folk from the overflow of minions.

I fell asleep countless times. I'm realising that I had got barely any sleep in the last week. I was never really a part of the discussion, so I kept nodding off and missing things. These are the few things I do remember. Why things so specific is beyond me.

\- "Well, what else could possibly go wrong?"   
\- "The real question is, what will happen after the mission is over? What comes next? Surely there will be after effects."  
\- "Extensive research shows that..."  
\- "Shut up, John. I'm not about to hear it today."  
\- "Mahalo iā'oe, e Hau. 'O ia ka mea nui ia'u."  
\- "I'll burn that bridge when I get to it."  
\- "Not my problem."  
\- "E'olu'olu e noho mālie, Kalani."   
\- "I'm proud of you, Gladion. Your sister would be too."  
\- "Don't say that! She's just a kid!"  
\- "That concludes the meeting."

Some of these things I can draw connections and context, but most of it is just blurry.

I couldn't sleep that night. For some reason, I repeatedly got nightmares. Nightmares about everything that could and would go wrong. Things that always had me waking up and throwing myself into a sitting position, sweating cold bullets and hugging my knees. I felt like crying almost every time I woke up, but I didn't want to be rude to the others and wake them up, so I didn't cry.

When they woke up, they could clearly see I hadn't slept and that something was very wrong. Guzma offered that we go and do something stupid like set fire to a Mancargo shell to take my mind off of everything that ailed me, but I didn't want to hear it. Gladion was no help. He didn't know how to help.

They gave me a run down of what happened during the meeting, seeing as I had apparently been blinking in and out of consciousness the entire time, and even when I was awake, I was 'staring at the wall with a dazed and frankly mystified expression'.

The plan was that myself, Gladion and Guzma would be going to the alter during the eclipse. The boys would try and destroy as many minions as they could with what little resources we had, which turned out to be our Pokemon, some gasoline and a few lighters. I would use the machine to summon Niekramant directly back to the alter before the eclipse could end. During this time, the rescue team, composed of the Alolan Island Kahuna's, Astrid and Looker would enter the wormhole and fend off the 'Lost Souls' and bring back everyone who had been taken. It was explained to me that Plumeria was one of the Lost Souls. Lost Souls were those strange kidnapped people who underwent some strange transformation. Looker was in charge of handling those. I hoped that by 'handle' they meant 'restore back to normal and rescue as well'.

Plumeria and Sia deserve better than being lost.

I was also told that it was lucky the meeting was over hologram. At one point I fell asleep while they were discussing my role and Alfred called me useless. At hearing this, I wanted to punch him. And apparently, so did many people in the middle of the conference. Both Guzma and Gladion immediately came to my defence, as to be expected. But I also had the side of Anabel, President Lusamine, Dr. Smith, Hau and Carnelian. Everyone was furious at him for calling me that. They all said that I was the most vital point of this and that HE was making it all too clear. As in, it was like he didn't give me space to think for myself.

They all said it was fine for me to sleep.

And from there, apparently, I didn't stop sleeping. Because the meeting ended and I was still snoozing and drooling on Guzma's shoulder. He had to carry me back to the hotel. That was no wonder why I had woken up from the first nightmare still wearing my clothes, in the hotel room. I didn't think anything of it at the time.

It warmed my heart to know that so many of them got angry for me. I can get why Gladion and Guzma would have something to say about me; they had been the closest exposed to me during most of this. Anabel was willing to defend me because she had seen me fight during that earlier mission. She knew first hand that I was far from useless. Hau was willing to defend me because of what happened to Sia. It hadn't been fault but I thought it had been and had tried to make it up to him when I never even needed to. At least, that's the way he saw it. Carnelian had no real reason to support me, but hey. Nuholan's have each other's backs. I don't even know who President Lusamine is or why she decided I was worth the while. And back then, I had no idea why Dr. Smith cared about me. 

I rang up Astrid and talked with her. She had been told of the plans and was annoyed, but totally willing to help out. 

"Hey, if you're throwing yourself at that thing for a second time, I might as well do something too." Her outlook was sort of a, 'we're either going to win this war with awesome looking battle scars, or die fucking trying.' Not a bad way to be.

Eclipse day came. I got barely any sleep again, so when the other two woke up, I was already on my laptop, rewatching some episodes of Steven Universe to make myself calm down a little. I was on season 1, since that tends to be generally more lighthearted than say, the fourth season. And I didn't have any of season five. I didn't need that on my mind. 

They were both on edge. Gladion anxiously checked his clock every two seconds, counting down the minutes before we left for the alter. We caught wind that the Kahunas had already entered the wormhole and were making their way to Niekramant's territory. If their timing was perfect, they would get there and find the prison fortress just as the eclipse would start and all the minions would flood into the twilight along with their master and away from their captives.

I did my best to keep my mind from wandering to the topic, my hands shaking from sheer terror. Today was the day. I already knew what it was like to fight this creature, but now it would be even more powerful, it would be angry, it would recognise me as the flame. It would be another battle, but this times its personal. Something told me I wouldn't survive. The flame would diminish, doused in cold shadows and forced to blow out completely. I would fall, losing Grillby, NightLight, Matty, Yellow Belly, Flare Mane, FireBeam, Astrid, Guzma, Gladion, Susan, Charlie, Casha, Brittney, Erin and Dana, Mum and Dad, Hau, Sia, Plumeria, Lillie, Candy, Dr. Smith, Anabel...

I would lose everyone when I lost my life.

Everything I cared about was going to be lost, I was certain of it.

Guzma offered to watched Voltron with me before we left for the alter, and while I took up his offer and we continued from where we left off, I was paying little attention. I kept texting headcanons and stupid things to Astrid, making sure she felt that everything was okay and making sure that the last words I would ever say to her were full of my love; everything we shared as illegal, unofficial wives. I texted the group chat, acting like I was enjoying the sights in Sinnoh and telling them that snow was totally worth it, so they knew I didn't leave in total horror. I texted my sisters, sending them memes and reminding them that I was going to be home, so they would think I was unaware of my death when it swept me from my feet and carried me away, and they would believe their little sister was okay until the sudden moment hit me. I texted Mum and Dad and simply told them I loved them. Maybe they would believe something now that would later turn into a lie.

I felt like crying the entire time. I had already accepted that I wasn't going to make it. I'm pretty sure Guzma was onto me; I wasn't acting normal and he kept glancing at me while I ferociously tapped at my screen, sending my love to everyone I was going to lose. Everyone that was going to lose me... As if I ever thought they would see me going was a loss. When a voice spoke up, it startled me and I stopped texting about Quips and Quirks.

"What's wrong?" It was Guzma. While I was captivated by my head that was chanting about my demise and how I needed to keep up a charade to everyone I knew that I was okay when I wasn't, he had paused the stream and read some of the stuff I was texting about.

"Nothing." I replied, lying through my teeth.

"'Nothing' my ass, kid. Nobody texts that much about 'the sitcom crew' when they're okay."

"You don't know my life."

"Ah find that hard to believe." If he thought this was weird, he would never be allowed into my text history ever. It's concerning what goes on in there. And this amount of 'sitcom crew' wasn't any worse for wear than normal. Despite it all, I had nothing else to say. I didn't have the energy to tell him about it. He closed my laptop. "Ah know it's hard, kid. This is the last thing ya wanna do. And ya think its gonna be the last thing ya do, don't ya?" I didn't reply. "Ah get where you're coming from. But, look, ya made it through this the first time. What says ya won't make it this time?"

"My brain." I finally forced myself to reply to something.

"Anything else?"

"All the evidence."

"Look, Hazel... Everything is going to be fine." I didn't say anything. "The rescue team is going to save those people, and we're going to help you kill that thing and... Kid, ah don't know what to tell ya. Things are grim, but y'all ain't making it any better with a mindset like that."

"Yaint."

"Ah'm tryin' to help right now; don't make fun of how we talk in the south."

"You're like three quarters Alolan. You grew up there. Thats not southern. Why'd you even get your dads accent anyway?"

"Doesn't matter." The look on his face indicated that I probably shouldn't have brought up Harold. But he wasn't done just yet. "Just listen to me when ah say, it will all be okay at the end of the day. When the moon rises tonight and everything is fine, y'all're gonna wonder why ya even worried 'bout it. Tonight, the three of us are gonna celebrate the continuation of this world." I tried to muster a smile, but it must've looked so strained.

"Promise?" I asked like a dopey seven year old that was afraid of the dark and the monsters in her closet. Guzma strung an arm around my shoulders and pulled me into a hug. I knew that what he said was a lie. We wouldn't celebrate anything that night. I knew he was just trying to calm my nerves, which were showing more than I should have been letting on to. But somehow, in the back of my mind, his one word reply reassured me something anyway. I don't know what kind of false hope it gave me, but for a second, it made me feel like his words were true. Everything would be fine tonight. All in a single word. In a single second.

"Promise."

*

Terrified for my life, we followed the cave system to the alter. I felt like something was watching me the entire time, my spine crawling. Anticipation for what was to come was the only explanation, but something in the back of mind kept chanting 'minion'. Like one of them was following us as we tread closer and closer to our demise. Well, my demise at least.

Before long, we turned off our flashlights and stepped onto the alter. I had pinned a hope that the snow clouds of the blizzard would be gathered over the alter, preventing the strange twilight from meeting the alter and hopefully stopping this all. But it was a futile hope. The sun shone bright and high in the sky and I could see that it wouldn't be long before the sky would go dark behind the moon's shadow. I was amused to find the machine, still in pieces where we had left it the first time, around a month ago.

I had to cringe at the memory that the first time I had been here, I had marvelled at the beauty of the alter. Now it just looked desolate and like the place from my nightmares. I hated everything about it.

Gladion contacted Alfred with our confirmed positions and counted that the total eclipse would begin in fifteen minutes. It would last for fifteen. We had fifteen minutes to fight this all off. We had fifteen minutes to save everyone. We had just fifteen minutes. I couldn't believe it. So much anticipation for a fifteen minute battle. Only, it would be over in a second. For me. I wouldn't last long at all. I clutched the pokeballs of my team. I just wanted them to be okay. I didn't want them to die like this. _I_ didn't want to die like this.

Minutes passed and I watched the eclipse begin to grow in the sky. The total eclipse wouldn't be far now. My legs turned to jelly beneath me and I began to sweat like the chips from our local diner when left in an unopened bag for more than three minutes. Panic was settling in my stomach like some sort of bubbling broth. I couldn't concentrate and everything in me was just fizzing with anticipation.

No. I don't think it was anticipation. It was your plain old, classic fear. I was so afraid.

I nearly shit my pants when a hand found my shoulder. My frazzled mind immediately thought I'd been sought after by a minion, but when no shadow chains emerged from the floor to take me, I knew it was just one of the boys. When I turned my head to see who it was, I looked back into concerned, grey and tired eyes.

"Just think of what it'll be like tonight." Guzma reminded me, but the false hope had dissipated. Here, on the alter, surrounded by the engravings and the towering wall with its star, I had no hope left. This was where I died.

"Get ready. It's about to start." Gladion said assertively, getting into position. Guzma pat me on the back reassuringly, but it meant nothing. We got into position. The sky went dark, but something far more amazing than any old eclipse began to happen. The black star atop the pillar began to emit what can only be described as dark light. It was darkness, but it spread like light would. Something began to swirl around it like wind and it grew larger. The alter grew colder until I was shivering so much my teeth clattered together in disagreement. The shadows continued to grow.

Little did we know, that was the portal.

Before we could comprehend the situation, creatures from my nightmares crawled from the maw of the darkness; shimmering, black, half formed, bootlegged Pokemon. And they were set on the three of us with foul intentions. 

They were everywhere. Absolutely everywhere. The notoriously unhurtable minions had us surrounded. I can't say much happened other than; we threw some pokeballs, we commanded battles to the best of our abilities, but it was to no use. There was too many of them. There was no way we could do this.

We were overrun. I hadn't even gotten to the platform. Niekramant hadn't even been summoned. But it was far too much for just three people. I don't know where we went wrong. I don't know when we decided on this. But we ran.

The three of us ran, like cowards, from the alter.

I wish I could say it ended there. I wish I could say the story ended there. I wish we just ran and then perished in the apocalypse we couldn't stop. But there's plenty more to this story that contradicts that.

We ran, through the cave system, tripping over every rock we couldn't see, not caring about the darkness. Somehow, we knew our way back to the cave entrance. The three of us burst out the other side, onto the route, bloodied and bruised from the countless falls and mishaps with the walls. One of my bandages had been torn open and there was a bruise already blossoming dark purple on an exposed part of my leg.

To our luck, despite all of that, we were being chased close on the tail by more minions. The run wasn't over. We had further to go. Much further. We led them through an abandoned route, hoping it wouldn't take them anywhere of importance. If we could thin the group out, then it would be easier to take them all on. Again, to our luck, SnowPoint City began to come into view. 

But, in a twist of fate, someone ran towards us. It recognised his coat and hat to be the man from the ferry. I was surprised myself, but I know that Guzma and Gladion, frantically trying to run while not leaving me behind (as I'm the slowest of us, of course), couldn't have cared less who he was. We drew closer and suddenly one thing became apparent about the man. Under the red sky of the eclipse, he didn't run in the shadows and he didn't fully hide his face. His eyes were still hidden under the rim of his hat, but everything else was visible; from a crooked and broken nose to his stubble. There was something about his features that reminded me of someone, but I couldn't put a finger on who.

"YOU THREE! COME WITH ME! I KNOW HOW YOU CAN ESCAPE THEM!" He yelled out to us and my heart skipped a beat at his voice. So fucking familiar! But from where?! We all put on the breaks and I nearly face planted into the snow as we contemplated following this mysterious man. "COME ON! THERE IS NOT MUCH TIME!" He further beckoned, sounding worried. My accomplices looked at each other, then set off in the man's direction. I saw a smile fall across his lips as we followed. He ran us to a black car and threw the keys back to Guzma. "NOW DRIVE TO SAFETY!" He commanded. Without thinking, still being tailed by minions, we got into the car. Guzma shoved the key into the ignition and the car bubbled to life immediately.

"Aren't you coming with us?!" Gladion asked the man through the window of the backseat.

"I would not dream of it! This is not the battle of you three against all of them! It was unfair from the start! This mission is impossible! Now get out of here!" He replied, pulling a pokeball from his pocket and throwing it with passion. I didn't see what had come from it. 

"Stop being stupid! Come with us-!" Gladion tried to reason with him again, but he was cut off.

"I SAID **_GET OUT OF HERE_**!!!" He then screamed, and my heart dropped when I finally saw his eyes. It was only for a brief second before he turned away, but eyes like that are undeniable. How didn't I see it earlier? He was so familiar and he knew about our mission and the minions. But it was the words Dr. Smith then said that startled me most. " ** _ARCANINE, USE FLAMETHROWER_**!" Guzma slammed his foot into the accelerator and we were off. He took a quick u-turn and for a moment, I saw the battle between our pursuers and Dr. Smith.

My heart dropped again. I saw an under-levelled ashen Arcanine, struggling, already covered in wounds and black blood oozing from them. And then there was the doctor himself. Shackles had him by the wrists and chains were rapidly tensing to pull him into the ground. I screamed. Guzma paid me no mind as he drove past them, way over any legal speed limits, turning from the training routes and flooring it onto a newly developed highway. I don't know how long we drove for at that speed, but there was nobody else on that highway so it barely mattered.

Three minutes after we had made the break for it, nothing was following us and Guzma eased off the accelerator. We were still over the speed limit, but we weren't completely burning the clutch into permanent fourth gear anymore. Maybe just third. I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream. I wanted to kill myself. None of this was worth it. I hated all of this. I opted for crying.

It was difficult with the seatbelt, but I brought my knees to my chest and cried into them. Neither of the boys had anything to say. We couldn't do it back there. We had retreated like cowards, then taken a car from someone who was a strange only until he revealed his face fully. The countryside began to thaw out of snow and it grew warmer. I barely paid it any attention. I was crying.

I lifted my head, sight bleary with tears. Gladion placed a sympathetic hand on my shoulder from the back seat, but I pushed it off. I'm too stubborn to accept comfort when I cry. Even in the fucking apocalypse. I checked the clock. There was two minutes left until the total eclipse would be over. We had fought for about two minutes. We had run for maybe six. We had driven for around five now. It had felt like a god damn lifetime. The two remaining minutes felt like another eternity later, and it was only interrupted when Gladion let out a cry of horror.

"Oh my god... Look!" He shouted, pointing out the window towards the sun. Guzma slammed on the brakes and nearly sent me into the dashboard, but when I too looked out the window, I had the same reaction. The eclipse was clearly coming to an end and the sky was already beginning to lighten up a little, but a familiar and horrifying shape was appearing in the sky. It was Niekramant. 

Then something more horrifying happened. Thousands of black masses began to flood from the land toward it, gathering around the creature of death. Guzma gulped and started driving again, clearly not wanting to look at the horrid sight, but Gladion and I continued to stare, open mouthed and wide eyed. The shapes that I assumed were minions clustered around it and were creating a much, much, much larger version of Niekramant. But it didn't end there. It began to retreat further into the sky and as the moon began to shift away and reveal sunlight once more, it blocked it out again. Niekramant was going to let the eclipse reign eternal.

Straight out of my nightmares.

The car drove on, retreating down the highway in shame as the sun was blotted out completely by the strange shadow and the sky went from apocalypse red to dusk in winter. It was almost beautiful, if the situation wasn't what it was. We had failed. There was no turning back. How did we mess up this bad? I had no idea how we could fix this. But all I knew was that it was over.


	12. Just another LA Devotee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It wasn't the end at all. It was only beginning.

Of course, I was wrong. It wasn't over at all. It was just beginning. 

_You got two black eyes from loving too hard  
And a black car that matches your blackest soul  
I wouldn't change ya, oh  
Wouldn't ever try to make you leave, no_

We drove for a lot longer than we thought we would. Alfred messaged us after the eclipse was supposed to end, asking what the hell we were doing on our end. Gladion cut him off with no reply, leaving the bastard in angry wait. We had failed everything. There was nothing left to do but lick our wounds and keep running. This was our fault. We knew it was. I rolled down the window of the car and let the rushing wind run through my hair, ruffling it violently. Not that I cared.

"What are we supposed to do now?" I foolishly asked, half expecting and not expecting a reply. It took a while before one came.

"We run." Gladion said. Just as I suspected. There wasn't anything left for us at this point. We sped past a small town, where people watched the sky with horror. We made no indication to them that we even knew what was going on. Just kept driving.

We drove on for a good ten more minutes after the town before something happened. It made my heart stop. We had come across one of the major Pokemon competition cities in Sinnoh, I don't know which one. But the streets were full of people, running and screaming. But there was more than just people in the city.

Minions. Everywhere.

_Oh, the neon coast was your sign  
And the Midwest wind with Pisces rising  
Wouldn't change ya, oh  
Wouldn't ever try to make you leave, no_

"I thought they all went into the sky?!" I screamed, leaning out the window. The car swerved as Guzma let go of the wheel and roughly pulled me back into my seat.

"Those things are after you, Hazel! If ya go out there now, ya're dead meat!" He shouted, getting back onto the road.

"We have to help those people!" Gladion then shouted, unbuckling his seatbelt.

"WHAT?! ARE YOU CRAZY?!" Guzma slammed on the brakes with his words.

"We've already failed everyone! We might as well try to do something! Even if it's just helping these people!" Gladion replied, jumping out of the car and sprinting to the madness. Guzma made a sound I can only compare to a growl as he too jumped out of the car.

Neither said I couldn't come, so I stupidly got out too. 

Neither objected as I caught up to them either, sprinting alongside them to do whatever we could.

_Static palms, melt your vibe  
Midnight whisperings_

I blocked out the visual of someone trying to push a minion off of someone they knew, only to get chained down in seconds. Some people put up a struggle as the minions attacked them, but others were gone with a snap of the fingers. I tried not to remember Plumeria struggling in the hallway not even a week ago. I tried not to think of Dr. Smith only a few minutes ago.

I threw the first pokeball that came to my hand. As the light that exploded from it formed into one my fateful companions, I was ready for the command.

_The black magic of Mulholland Drive  
Swimming pools under desert skies  
Drinking white wine in the blushing light  
Just another LA Devotee_

"NightLight, just like we practiced! Incinerator Spin!" I shouted. The Rapidash let out her best battle cry before her mane of fire began to expand and burn brighter than ever. A primed Flame Wheel coupled with Flamethrower and then a strong fire enhancer I didn't realise I could use made for something spectacular.

_Sunsets on the evil eye  
Invisible to the Hollywood shrine  
Always on the hunt for a little more time  
Just another LA Devotee_

I rallied and rushed people to the ground before the attack could finish. People would get hurt, I knew that from experience. Before anyone could ask why I told them to hide behind something brick, I was to the ground and fire was everywhere. It burned up every wooden feature within a thirty metre radius - thankfully the city was mostly made of stone and bricks. But not only the wood and plants, but the minions too.

_Just another, just another, uh-oh_

Countless of them fell to the ground and were absorbed into the shadows. Gone and dead.

_Just another, just another, uh-oh_

Without my knowledge, in another part of the city, Gladion was using the same strategy as me with his Pokemon: combined attacks to make something ten times stronger. Minions fell on his side too.

_Just another, just another, uh-oh_

Once again, without me even knowing it, Guzma was also reducing the minions to rubble. Ever since he got rid of Team Skull, he wasn't afraid to use a Z-Ring. And despite this all being one huge battle, his team was more than willing to hold out for as many Z attacks as he willed there to be.

_Just another LA Devotee_

_You got bleached out eyes from the valley sand  
And the black tar palms keep weeping your name  
I couldn't change ya, oh  
Couldn't ever try to make you see, no_

It took is a bit of time, but soon enough, the entire city had been cleared of minions. The three of us ran back to the car, reporting that we were okay and that we had in fact done something good that day. It wasn't like we cleared the alter and defeated Niekramant, but this was something. But, we didn't get back in the car. Without a word, we and our Pokemon high tailed it, flying down the road to the next town. I don't know why. 

As we ran, I found out that we'd all lost at least one Pokemon in those battles. I had lost Matty, personally and was fuming over it. But we felt like this was what we had to do. We kept running. This was it.

_The high rise lights read your rights  
And a downtown storm with Aries rising  
I couldn't change ya, oh  
Couldn't ever try to make you see, no_

Before we could even reach another town on the highway, minions sprung out of nowhere. But, somehow, these ones weren't like the others ones we'd seen. They were huge and had something of shields on them, huge claws and armour like features on their faces. Nothing like the others which were just blurry, black, cryptid Pokemon. The three of us threw more pokeballs as I heard Gladion whisper a terrified,

"Necrozma."

_Static palms, melt your vibe  
Midnight whisperings_

They proved to be much stronger than the ones we fought in the city. These were like the ones I had bartered with in the territory during the other mission. Fast. Inescapable. Untouchable to our wimpy attacks. We combined our combination strategies from the town, but without a word of a lie, our Pokemon dropped like buttered hot cakes on the floor. There was nothing we could do to stop this.

I heard Guzma curse many times as he barely dodged a direct attack himself. He was beat up and looked to be in the worst condition of the three of us. I may have been bruised and bleeding a little bit from where my bandages had torn, but he was looking like death himself had gotten to him. His clothes were torn in so many places and there were scratches littering his face. 

But even a tough man like him couldn't hold out forever. So many of them at once. He was bound to be hit eventually. But my heart still stopped in my chest as the shackles appeared.

_The black magic of Mulholland Drive  
Swimming pools under desert skies  
Drinking white wine in the blushing light  
Just another LA Devotee_

Gladion let out a shocked gasp, something too genuine for someone like him. 

"Ah'm find! Ah'll get out of this!" He yelled through frustrated grunting, absolutely straining against the pull of the chains. Gritted teeth and swearing, he struggled. I stood there, totally shell shocked. He laughed, giving me a look, a pained smile there as he continued to struggle. "We're winnin' this war, kid! We're all gettin' to tonight! Ah promised ya that much!" His entire body was shaking with rejection. 

Gladion let out a scream behind me and as I turned my blood went colder than ice. No, colder than death. Exact same situation as Guzma. And struggling just as much. I screamed out in terror, shock and immediate grief for what was to come. They were both going to be taken. 

But then something quite unexpected happened. 

Both of them, despite their struggle, managed to throw their last pokeball.

"Take care of him, Hazel!" Gladion shouted as his Silvally manifested. Silvally let out a sad roar, looking all too concerned for its trainer. "I'm fine, Silvally! She'll take care of you."

"It's up to you, kid!" Guzma in turn shouted, looking supremely upset as Golisopod came into view. "Look, Hazel! Ah got a plan, but you gotta do this for us!" He continued, making my heart restart in my chest, but now in full throttle.

"WHAT?! WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO DO?! WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO?!" I screamed. I was overwhelmed. And still dodging those Necrozma bastards. 

"That's what Ah'm tryna tell ya! Ah need you to drive back to SnowPoint city! Go back to the alter!"

"WHAT?!" 

_Sunsets on the evil eye  
Invisible to the Hollywood shrine  
Always on the hunt for a little more time  
Just another LA Devotee_

"No, he's right! Drive back there! Go to the alter! Take Silvally and Golisopod with you! They can help!" Gladion added in. They were both struggling so much. I just wanted to save them. Who cared what plan they had. I wanted them to stop struggling, then they could help me execute this plan. But if I as much as touched them, I was destined to the same fate.

"Get the dragon thing to spread the gasoline over the alter! The shit we brought up with us! Get it everywhere. Golisopod will keep you safe but use you as bait for it get the shit everywhere!" Guzma.

"Then get on the platform! Press the machines button and summon Niekramant! Get Grillby to Flare Blitz the place and set it all alight! You can win like that!" Gladion.

"Ah know it sounds far fetched, but kid it's all we got! It's all the world's got to live! Please you gotta do t-hIS!!!" Right as they finished their somehow telepathically organised plan, one of those evil minions had had enough of their struggling and latched onto one of Guzma's legs and was now pulling with even more force. Gladion shouted in protest as he too was grabbed ahold of. Their plan seemed conceivable, but I was more focused on what was going on with them. They were being dragged to the territory! I couldn't let that happen.

"B-but I need to-"

"DOESN'T MATTER, HAZEL! YOU'VE ALL WE GOT LEFT RIGHT NOW! DO AS WE'RE SAYING AND SAVE THE WORLD!" Guzma then screamed, one of most the heart wrenching things I had ever heard. This wasn't the desperation he was conveying over the phone when I refused to not do the mission days ago. This was something else entirely. Desperation, but on a whole new level. He was fucking terrified. 

"I DONT KNOW HOW TO DRIVE! AND WHAT ABOUT THE KEYS?!" I shouted back, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. 

"AH GOT THE KEYS! AH'LL THROW 'EM TO YA! NOW LISTEN TO ME HAZEL! YOU GOTTA DO THAT! YOU GOTTA SAVE EVERYONE!"

And with the best underarm throw he could muster, sent the car keys flying in my direction. I caught them in one go, nothing like all those fails in HPE. The plan was a go. They let the minions finally drag them down. I let out a scream of anguish, then knew it had to be done. This _had_ to be done.

Now.

_Just another, just another, uh-oh_

Sprinted. That's what I did. Tears streamed from the corners of my eyes as I sprinted back to the car, with two Pokemon that weren't my own behind me. No minions were trailing me, due to the fact that all of those ones that blocked us had taken them. I ran to the car, counting the Pokemon I still had left. Grillby and Flare Mane were all that remained of my own team and then I had Silvally and Golisopod. The Pokemon that weren't mine.

Once there, I flung the driver door back open and sat myself down. I flexed my hands, closed the door, put on my seatbelt, told the Pokemon to climb aboard and put the keys into the ignition. I didn't know how to drive a car, much less an automatic. But I tried to remember the random musings of my mother whenever she took me into the nearby city in our old automatic. No time for gradual approach to gear changes. I shoved the clutch into third and prayed to Helix that I could survive my own driving.

My foot hit the accelerator and I was off.

Driving is one of my weak points. I can train fire types, fight a God of darkness, construct amazing stories and characters and even keep weird friends who are way older than me. But my god, I always knew that I couldn't steer. Thank goodness I was the only one on the road. I increased the speed, over the limit and shit myself as I nearly forgot to shift gears, the clunking sounds of the clutch reminding. 'That weird sound is your gear change signal, girls. Remember that shit.' My mother had told me.

I nearly smashed into a curb and came to my senses. In my poorly done u turn, I had forgotten that this was Sinnoh. I was driving on the wrong side of the road. I hastily steered into the right lane, still speeding and absolutely praying that I wouldn't crash. I passed the city and the town. As I remained focused and aware of every turn, the landscape returned to snowscape and I knew it wasn't long now. I eased off into second gear.

Surprisingly easier than I thought. But had there been other cars on the road, there would have been casualties. The training route from before came back into view and I knew where I would need to go from there. I braked, got out and gestured for the Pokemon to come with me.

_Just another, just another, uh-oh_

Into the cave again. Flare Mane took the liberty of a flamethrower to light our way through the cave system, bringing us more safely to the other side. But before we had even broken into the sunlight, to sprint up the stairs and finish what we came here for, they were upon us. Minions were everywhere.

Before I could register the situation, Golisopod scooped me up and used itself as a shield, making the final sprint up the stairs while keeping me safe. Flare Mane occupied itself with the minions at the entrance, leaving me with one more of my own Pokemon as we sprinted for the finish line. 

We reached the top of the stairs.

Just like we had left it, the place was swarming with shrouded black minions. My mind raced for where the gasoline bottles would be. I peered from my hiding place, seeing three almost destroyed barrels of gasoline. One remained untouched. It was already everywhere. Good.

"Silvally! The bottle!" I shouted. It jumped to the barrel, somehow expertly avoiding the minions that swarmed it at every side. Biting the nozzle off, it began running and spilling the flammable liquid in the places the rest hadn't spread. Golisopod jumped for the platform. I threw my Ultra Ball and Grillby appeared on the platform. Still in hiding but watching, we waited for Silvally to finish its job. Once the floor was glistening and Silvally was on the platform too, I made my move.

_Just another, just another, uh-oh_

"Grillby, use Flamethrower!" I didn't bother with a strong attack. Just a small flame would get this going. Grillby roared and jumped, letting out a humongous burp of fire, which spilled onto the wet ground. Immediately, the entire alter began to glow. Heat filled the area and I felt like I was back at home, doing Capture the Flag in HPE during a sweltering hot day in the middle of summer. On the platform and away from the flames, but listening to Niekramant's minions scream in pain, unable to escape the flames that overlook them so quickly. I crawled from the protection Golisopod gave me and stood at the edge, where the fire reached high and the minions fell further. Where the smoke smelled sweet of the death of the enemy.

_Just another LA Devotee_

And like a sadist, I watched the creatures burn.

_LA Devotee_

But there was one last task I had to do. My stomach flipped at the prospect, but I had come this far. There was no turning back. This was for Astrid, my best friend, the closest I've ever felt to someone. 

_LA Devotee_

For Guzma, the man who brought this trouble, but was forever sorry for the pain he had brought me and was trying his hardest every day that passed to make it up to me. For Gladion, who tried his hardest, despite not having a clue what he was doing and made sure that things always came together in the end. For Susan, Charlie and Brittney, who were my crazy dumb friends who were always there for me no matter how weird things got. For Casha, the first victim to the minions tyranny. For Plumeria and Sia, who had become lost souls while trying to help me. For Erin and Dana who were my blood sisters til the fucking end.

_LA Devotee_

For Anabel, who I knew was disappointed in me, but thought that for some reason I stood a chance. For Hau, who defended me even when I messed up and ruined a part of his life. For Candy, 'Carnelian' who was the most supportive mate on the Diamond Alliance (that I knew of). For Dr. Smith, who put his life on the line to save the three sorry people who couldn't do this on their own. For Lillie, who I already knew I was in love with. For the people I hadn't met yet or never would. For Alfred, to learn to reduce his ego and remember who he was putting out there for this job. For Mum and Dad, who I knew would kill me for doing something this dangerous if I got home before the school holidays ended. For everyone. For the whole damn world.

It was time to face Niekramant.

_LA Devotee_

I shouted to Silvally to jump onto the machine for me and with a loyal nod, it leapt off the platform and pressed the cursed button. Among the flames, I saw it happen. The broken keystones rattled about on the machine and the star grew evil and large on the pedestal. I hugged Grillby close and stood, watching and waiting. I turned my eyes to the sky and shuddered. That thing was shifting from the sky where it blotted out the light and was moving towards me. I gulped.

I thought about the people who were regaining sunlight. The people who were being saved in the territory. The people who were still fighting so valiantly. The people who had helped me along this futile journey. Grillby nuzzled my hand as I shed a single tear. But before I could comprehend any more of it, shadows had us surrounded.

Niekramant was right there.

_The black magic of Mulholland Drive_

To my knowledge, the other Pokemon were sealed away from us. It was just Grillby and I. I let go of my dog of fire, preparing to make a first attack. Niekramant used Shade Blade! Fuck, it was already at it. It had been all of three seconds and it was already at it. The scythe whipped through the air, striking Grillby many times, but not just him.

Four hits to him.

Then one to me.

_Swimming pools under desert skies_

I hissed as black blood began to drip from the gash in my arm. I clenched it with my other hand, hissing and biting back in tears. It hurt so much. I staunched the disgusting dirty blood from flowing too much, but the stinging burn was undeniable. It was like water that's so cold it feels hot. I struggled to grab my phone. Stat check. I yelled a command to Grillby, but it blurred in my auditory field. I couldn't even hear my own voice. It was muscle memory alone that had me say something. Why couldn't I hear anything? 

Ignoring the blood flowing out of my arm as best I could, the battle app was already open. I felt my soul grow fainter. So much HP. Endless amounts of freaking HP. A literal infinity symbol replaced where a number usually sat. And Grillby was already struggling to stay above half HP. This was impossible. My heart leapt as Grillby's attack missed. Niekramant dodged the attack! Niekramant used Poison Fang!

_Drinking white wine in the blushing light_

I could feel my incoming heart failure as a glint of red reflected in the eyes of one of the snake heads. But it stopped altogether as, like the creature from Alien, one those damn snakes came hurtling right towards me. Instinctively, I threw my arm over my face to protect myself, but regret was what I felt. 

It latched onto my arm.

Panic filled my entire body and I shrieked. Using a leg and my other arm for leverage, I strained to pull it off. Grillby bit onto it and and tried to heave it off. Working together, we tried to pull it off. Unlike a normal attack, it just wouldn't let go of me. 

_Just another LA Devotee_

I finally managed to pry the head off my arm and cringed at the swelling rash it had left. No teeth marks, just a painful rash. In one arm, a deep gash of black. On the other, a rash that made my skin look like it was about to fall off. The bandages had disintegrated into nothing. It was so cold. But, only one thing could ever be colder.

Shackles.

_Sunsets on the evil eye_

My heart stopped as two clamps surrounded my wrists and ankles. The chains were immediate, but with no ground to fall into, I was just yanked down. Grillby whined and dove after me, ignoring the screeching cry of Niekramant behind him. He reached me and bit at the chains, doing something I didn't think he could.

Snapping the chains in half, the shackles remained in place, but I was no longer being pulled into the void. Grillby nuzzled me close, Niekramant looming like the merciless god it was above us. The impending sense of my doom was definitely beginning to settle in my stomach again. I did one thing I knew I could before a killing move could be inflicted on him and then me, or vice versa.

Niekramant used Leech Life!

I hugged Grillby protectively, taking the hit dead on. It's super effective.

_Invisible to the Hollywood shrine_

Immediately, the world began to dim in my sight, like I had dropped my glasses and I couldn't find them, but also like I hadn't found them for days. The sense of blacking out hit me like a brick, head beginning to pulse. Grillby whined in my arms as my grip began to loosen. 

I couldn't hold him any longer. I let go.

But something was going on. Grillby took the opportunity to swim out of my arms, diving for the bag that was somehow still slung over my shoulder. Using nothing but his nose, he opened it and beginning spilling its contents everywhere. Useless pokeballs, potions I would never get to use, berries that would never be eaten and...

A Fire Stone drifted from the open maw of the bag.

Grillby barked excitedly and eagerly placed a paw to the stone. And what happened next was something out of a dramatic action movie.

_Always on the hunt for a little more time_

As soon as they made contact, Grillby was shrouded with a piercing light. Niekramant let out a defeating shriek and I felt my eardrums shake painfully in my head. But I couldn't acknowledge the pain or the dimming of the world. Grillby was changing. 

Under the light, I could see his form contorting and growing. From a tiny dog, I could see he was now more like a wolf. From small tufts of fur came a billowing mane. Evolution. He was evolving. I couldn't believe it. He was evolving. 

But I guess I can be glad he didn't evolve in the hotel, even if it was to my former dismay. The glowing that surrounded him combusted in a second. Like nothing, the light changed to a brilliant blaze. In a heaving swirl and then a shockwave, the flames dispersed and Grillby roared. It was the deepest sound I had ever heard. That wasn't a determined but almost pitiful cry from a tiny puppy. The fact that I could hear it over the communally blurring sounds around said it all.

Before me stood a hulking creature, now far larger than me. Standing at what must've been close to two meters tall, Grillby was now an Arcanine. Large as life.

_Just another LA Devotee_

He roared again and I heard it deep in my soul. Evolution. In the middle of a battle. It only happened in the movies. It only happened in the bad chick flicks. It only happened as a way of gaining hope. And that's just what it gave me. 

I screamed another attack and Grillby shot me a glance and an affirmative nod. Hope flooded me. He jumped, primed and ready. Niekramant immediately began shooting more attacks, as the app constantly reminded. 

I caught his Flare Blitz through dimming eyes. A flamethrower. Two Fire Fang's in a row. What must have been so many different attacks from Niekramant. I just watched and counted my breaths.

_Just another, just another, uh-oh_

Grillby held out so its trainer wouldn't worry! He jumped again, swimming through the shadows, mouth alight and spewing savage fires. They had turned blue. Blue fire is ever hotter than orange. My stomach churned and the little food I had eaten the last two days began to rise in my throat. The stream of attacks from both sides filtered onto screen endlessly, filling my head with constant chirping of attack names and HP losses. But one thing stuck out to me like a sore thumb.

Grillby held out so its trainer wouldn't worry. 

He was bleeding, just like I was. His HP should have been drained. Niekramant was relentless. But Grillby's HP didn't drain. Niekramant's did. 

Grillby held out so its trainer wouldn't worry. The message never let up. I continued to breathe, counting the inhales, the exhales. Reminding myself to stay awake. To survive. To make sure I could watch him win.

I finally realised that I was still screaming. This was _us_. I was the one telling him to keep going. To dodge and to press forward. I was deaf to the world and hadn't noticed my own screaming. It was only the burn in my throat that indicated I was still going. A swirling haze of ringing and static had replaced where sound was supposed to be. But despite being completely deaf as a 103 year old lady, or my grandma for that matter, I was still synchronising with my Pokemon. 

I couldn't let us get away with loss. I wouldn't let myself die at the hands of this without winning first. Grillby's valiant fight - his holding out to prevent me from worrying - could not and would not go to waste. 

Specs of white light flickered in my vision as I looked at my phone. Niekramant's HP. What had been an infinity symbol had drained. It was down to 1500 HP. And it was draining at light speed. Grillby remained on one health point. A singular health point was all that kept him going. I didn't know if I was yelling commands or simply egging him on. Air caught me in the throat and suddenly I couldn't scream. But it didn't deter Grillby from the final goal.

I can't recall it all, there was so much going on. But not longer after I checked...

I saw victory. 0 health points for Niekramant.

_Just another, just another, uh-oh_

My hearing returned at the eardrum shattering sound of Niekramant's final screech. It's vociferous cries hadn't reached my deaf ears until now. It was unbearable. Despite the bleeding and the sting of the rash, I clamped my hands over my ears, cringing in on myself to escape the sound. As if it could do anything. 

Through screwed up eyes that flowed with tears of pain, I could see it was writhing. Niekramant's form wavered and changed and wriggled. I remembered that most of that was minions, summoned to keep the eclipse never-ending. Chunks of black flesh fell off the creature and turned to dust around me. Grillby set them alight. It continued to shriek.

The red of its eyes burned with hatred and pain. It continued to writhe in agony for a long time, deteriorating before my very eyes. A sentence entered my head from nowhere.

heta nie kaniec. JA budu pamiatać ciabie... Hazel... Sky...

There was an explosion and I was knocked backwards. My feet hit the platform when I reached the bottom of the abyss. My retinas stung as proper daylight returned to me. I strained to see the ground before me, where wispy shadows sunk into the floor. I heard a bird chirp somewhere in the distance. The only lingering shadows of the attack were the straggling grey shadows of the blaze.

_Just another, just another, uh-oh_

Everything shook in my vision as I looked to the sky. Clear. Blue. Just like they had been around an hour ago. So beautiful. There were no minions anywhere. The flames were diminishing from what we had struck earlier. The Pokemon I had lost in all that battle rose back from the shadows. Just like last time. All the stolen Pokemon would return to their places now. If they didn't become the minions I just killed. But...

I had done my end of the bargain. I had destroyed Niekramant. No. Grillby. The dog of fire had done it. But I had completed my end. Niekramant was dead now. Apocalypse avoided. Planet saved. Only one thing left to do.

_Just another LA Devotee_

From pain, exhaustion and over endurance, I collapsed onto the platform and fainted.


End file.
